呵 meaning and stroke order
To scold; to yawn; the sound of someone laughing (when repeated)
How to write 呵, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 呵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to scold
- to expel breath
- (onom.) laughter (usu. reduplicated)
- interjection of surprise
- variant of 啊[a1]
How 呵 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 可 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 呵
呵 is a mouth 口 next to 可 (kě), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth breathing out a soft "heh" sound: a breath, a scolding, or a little laugh.
呵 mostly appears in set words rather than alone. 呵呵 (hēhē) is a chuckle, common in online chat, and 呵护 (hēhù) means to protect or care for tenderly. Example: 父母用心呵护孩子。(Fùmǔ yòngxīn hēhù háizi.) Parents lovingly care for their children.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 呵 (hē) with 河 (hé, river) and 何 (hé, what), which share the 可 part. Check the left side: 口 mouth for 呵, water 氵 for 河, person 亻 for 何. Also keep the first tone. It is hē, not hé.
Common words with 呵
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
呵 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 呵
How many strokes are in 呵?
呵 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 呵 mean?
呵 (hē) means to scold; to yawn; the sound of someone laughing (when repeated). A common word with it is 呵护 (hēhù), meaning "to bless; to cherish".
How do you pronounce 呵?
呵 is pronounced hē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 呵?
The radical of 呵 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 呵 under this radical.
Is 呵 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 呵 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 呵呵 rude when chatting online?
It can be. In Chinese online chat, 呵呵 often sounds cold or sarcastic, like a forced "heh". To show real laughter, people usually type 哈哈 (hāhā) instead.
What does 呵 mean in 呵气 or 呵欠?
Here 呵 means to breathe out. 呵气 (hēqì) is to blow warm breath, for example onto cold hands, and 呵欠 (hēqiàn) means a yawn.