哼 meaning and stroke order
To groan; to snort; to hum
How to write 哼, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 哼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to groan
- to snort
- to hum
- to croon
- humph!
- interjection expressing dissatisfaction or suspicion
How 哼 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 亨 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 哼
The mouth 口 on the left shows a sound made with the mouth, and 亨 (hēng) on the right gives the sound. A hum or a groan comes from the mouth and sounds just like hēng.
As a verb, 哼 means to hum a tune or to groan softly, as in 哼歌 (hēng gē, to hum a song). As an interjection, 哼 (often read hng) shows annoyance or doubt, like English "humph." Example: 她一边做饭一边哼着歌。(Tā yìbiān zuòfàn yìbiān hēngzhe gē.) She hums a song while cooking.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 享 (xiǎng, to enjoy) instead of 亨 on the right side. 亨 ends with 了, while 享 ends with 子, so check the bottom stroke. Also remember that 哼 is first tone, not the falling tone of an angry English "hmph."
哼 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 哼
How many strokes are in 哼?
哼 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 哼 mean?
哼 (hēng) means to groan; to snort; to hum.
How do you pronounce 哼?
哼 is pronounced hēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 哼?
The radical of 哼 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 哼 under this radical.
Is 哼 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 哼 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 哼 mean when someone says it alone in a chat or drama?
On its own, 哼 is a sound of displeasure, sulking, or disbelief, similar to "humph." It is common in playful or pouty speech, for example a character turning away and saying 哼。
What is the difference between 哼 and 唱 when talking about singing?
唱 (chàng) means to sing properly with words and voice. 哼 means to hum or sing softly under your breath, often without full lyrics, as in 哼小曲 (hēng xiǎoqǔ, to hum a little tune).