够 meaning and stroke order
Enough (sufficient); enough (too much); (coll.) (before adj.) really
How to write 够, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 11
Meaning of 够
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- enough (sufficient)
- enough (too much)
- (coll.) (before adj.) really
- (coll.) to reach by stretching out
How 够 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. More.
多 gives the meaning and 句 hints at the sound.
Radical: 夕 (evening), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 够
够 combines 句 (jù) on the left, which gives the sound, and 多 (duō, many) on the right, which gives the meaning. When you have 多, many, piled up beside you, you have enough.
够 often comes before a noun or verb to mean "enough", and 不够 (bùgòu) means "not enough". In casual speech it can also mean "really" before an adjective, as in 够冷的 (gòu lěng de), really cold. Example: 钱够不够？(Qián gòu bú gòu?) Is there enough money?
Common mistake: Learners often write the two parts in the wrong order and put 多 on the left. The correct order is 句 first, then 多. Some also use 足够 everywhere, but in everyday speech a plain 够 or 不够 sounds more natural.
Common words with 够
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 能够 | nénggòu | to be capable of; to be able to | HSK 2 |
| 不够 | bùgòu | not enough; insufficient | HSK 2 |
| 足够 | zúgòu | enough; sufficient | HSK 3 |
| 够呛 | gòuqiàng | unbearable; terrible | HSK 7-9 |
| 受够 | shòugòu | to have had enough of; to be fed up with | |
| 有够 | yǒugòu | very; extremely | |
| 够用 | gòuyòng | adequate; sufficient | |
| 够格 | gòugé | able to pass muster; qualified | |
| 够不着 | gòubuzháo | to be unable to reach |
够 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 够
How many strokes are in 够?
够 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 够 mean?
够 (gòu) means enough (sufficient); enough (too much); (coll.) (before adj.) really. A common word with it is 能够 (nénggòu), meaning "to be capable of; to be able to".
How do you pronounce 够?
够 is pronounced gòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 够?
The radical of 够 is 夕, which carries the idea of "evening". Dictionaries list 够 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 够?
The traditional form of 够 is 夠. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 够 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 够 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 够 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.
What is the difference between 够 and 足够?
Both mean enough. 足够 (zúgòu) is a little more formal and emphatic, and it often appears in writing. 够 is short and very common in speech, especially in questions like 够了吗？(Gòu le ma?) Is that enough?
What does 够了 mean when someone says it angrily?
够了 (gòu le) can mean "that's enough" or "stop it", showing the speaker is fed up. A related phrase is 我受够了 (wǒ shòugòu le), I have had enough.