声 meaning and stroke order
Sound; voice; tone
How to write 声, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 声
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sound
- voice
- tone
- noise
- reputation
- classifier for sounds
How 声 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Simplified form of 聲; see that character for the etymology.
Radical: 士 (scholar), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 声
The top of 声 is 士 (shì), which looks like a person standing tall, and the part below looks like a stand holding something that rings. Picture a scholar 士 striking a hanging bell, and the bell gives off a sound, 声 (shēng).
声 rarely stands alone in everyday speech. It usually appears in words like 声音 (shēngyīn, sound) or 大声 (dà shēng, loudly), and it also works as a measure word for sounds, as in 叫了一声 (jiào le yì shēng, called out once). Example: 请小声说话。(Qǐng xiǎo shēng shuōhuà.) Please speak quietly.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 声 (shēng) with 生 (shēng) because they sound identical. Remember that 声 has 士 on top and is about sound, while 生 means life or birth. Also, the top is 士 with a long upper line, not 土 (tǔ, earth), which has a long lower line.
Common words with 声
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 声音 | shēngyīn | sound; voice | HSK 2 |
| 大声 | dà shēng | loud voice; in a loud voice | HSK 2 |
| 小声 | xiǎo shēng | in a low voice; (speak) in whispers | HSK 2 |
| 声明 | shēngmíng | to state; to declare | HSK 3 |
| 歌声 | gēshēng | singing voice; fig. original voice of a poet | HSK 3 |
| 铃声 | língshēng | ring; ringtone | HSK 5 |
| 相声 | xiàngsheng | comic dialogue; sketch | HSK 5 |
| 掌声 | zhǎngshēng | applause | HSK 6 |
| 笑声 | xiàoshēng | laughter | HSK 6 |
| 响声 | xiǎngshēng | noise | HSK 6 |
| 声称 | shēngchēng | to claim; to state | HSK 7-9 |
| 名声 | míngshēng | reputation | HSK 7-9 |
| 声誉 | shēngyù | reputation; fame | HSK 7-9 |
| 心声 | xīnshēng | heartfelt wish; inner voice; aspiration | HSK 7-9 |
声 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 声
How many strokes are in 声?
声 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 声 mean?
声 (shēng) means sound; voice; tone. A common word with it is 声音 (shēngyīn), meaning "sound; voice".
How do you pronounce 声?
声 is pronounced shēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 声?
The radical of 声 is 士, which carries the idea of "scholar". Dictionaries list 声 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 声?
The traditional form of 声 is 聲. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 声 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 声 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 声 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do you say the four tones of Mandarin with 声?
Tones are called 声调 (shēngdiào). The four tones are 一声, 二声, 三声 and 四声 (yī shēng, èr shēng, sān shēng, sì shēng), so a teacher might say 这是三声 to mean this is third tone.
What is the difference between 声音 and 噪音?
声音 (shēngyīn) is any sound or voice and is neutral. 噪音 (zàoyīn) means noise that is unpleasant or disturbing, so you would use it to complain about construction or traffic.