宽 meaning and stroke order
Wide; broad; loose
How to write 宽, 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.
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Meaning of 宽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- wide
- broad
- loose
- relaxed
- lenient
How 宽 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Roof.
宀 gives the meaning and 苋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 宽
宽 has the roof radical 宀 on top, pointing to the idea of space under a roof, and 苋 (xiàn) below gives the sound. Picture a house so roomy that plants could grow inside it, and you have wide, spacious 宽 (kuān).
宽 describes physical width, like roads, rooms or clothes, and also a relaxed or lenient attitude toward people. It pairs with 窄 (zhǎi, narrow) as its opposite. Example: 这条路很宽。(Zhè tiáo lù hěn kuān.) This road is very wide.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom part as 见 alone and forget the 艹 (grass) element that sits between the roof and 见. Also, 宽敞 (kuānchang) describes a spacious room or house, so do not use it for a wide road, where 宽 or 宽阔 fits better.
Common words with 宽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 宽广 | kuānguǎng | wide; broad | HSK 4 |
| 宽度 | kuāndù | width | HSK 5 |
| 宽阔 | kuānkuò | expansive; wide | HSK 6 |
| 宽恕 | kuānshù | to forgive; forgiveness | HSK 7-9 |
| 宽容 | kuānróng | lenient; tolerant | HSK 7-9 |
| 宽敞 | kuānchang | spacious; wide | HSK 7-9 |
| 宽松 | kuānsōng | spacious; roomy; uncrowded; (of clothes) loose and comfortable | HSK 7-9 |
| 宽泛 | kuānfàn | wide-ranging | HSK 7-9 |
| 宽厚 | kuānhòu | tolerant; generous | HSK 7-9 |
| 拓宽 | tuòkuān | to broaden | HSK 7-9 |
| 宽大 | kuāndà | spacious; wide | |
| 宽慰 | kuānwèi | to console; to soothe | |
| 宽宏大量 | kuānhóngdàliàng | magnanimous (idiom); generous | |
| 宽限 | kuānxiàn | to extend (a deadline etc) |
宽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 宽
How many strokes are in 宽?
宽 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 宽 mean?
宽 (kuān) means wide; broad; loose. A common word with it is 宽广 (kuānguǎng), meaning "wide; broad".
How do you pronounce 宽?
宽 is pronounced kuān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 宽?
The radical of 宽 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 宽 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 宽?
The traditional form of 宽 is 寬. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 宽 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 宽 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 宽 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 宽 and 广?
宽 (kuān) focuses on width from side to side, like a wide road or wide shoulders. 广 (guǎng) suggests a large area or broad scope, like a vast square or wide knowledge. They combine in 宽广 (kuānguǎng) for something both wide and expansive.
How do you say someone is lenient or tolerant using 宽?
Use 宽容 (kuānróng) for tolerant or forgiving in general, as in 他对别人很宽容 (tā duì biérén hěn kuānróng), he is tolerant of others. 宽恕 (kuānshù) is stronger and means to forgive a specific wrong.