工 meaning and stroke order
Labor, work; laborer, worker
How to write 工, stroke by stroke
3 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
Meaning of 工
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- work
- worker
- skill
- profession
- trade
- craft
How 工 is built
Pictographic character. A spade or other workman's tool.
How to remember 工
工 (gōng) is a picture of a workman's tool, like a spade: a flat top, a straight handle, and a flat base. Picture a worker standing it upright, ready to start the job.
工 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words about jobs and labor, such as 工作 (gōngzuò), 工人 (gōngrén), and 工资 (gōngzī). Example: 我在工厂工作。(Wǒ zài gōngchǎng gōngzuò.) I work in a factory.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 工 (gōng) with 土 (tǔ, earth) and 士 (shì, scholar). 工 has no stroke crossing through the middle, and its bottom line is longer than its top.
Common words with 工
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate | HSK 1 |
| 工人 | gōngrén | worker | HSK 1 |
| 打工 | dǎgōng | to work a temporary or casual job; (of students) to have a job outside of class time, or d | HSK 2 |
| 工厂 | gōngchǎng | factory | HSK 3 |
| 工具 | gōngjù | tool; instrument | HSK 3 |
| 员工 | yuángōng | staff; personnel; employee | HSK 3 |
| 工资 | gōngzī | wages; pay | HSK 3 |
| 工程师 | gōngchéngshī | engineer | HSK 3 |
| 工业 | gōngyè | industry | HSK 3 |
| 人工 | réngōng | artificial; manpower | HSK 3 |
| 加工 | jiāgōng | to process; processing | HSK 3 |
| 工夫 | gōngfu | (old) laborer | HSK 3 |
| 职工 | zhígōng | employee; staff member; worker | HSK 3 |
| 工程 | gōngchéng | engineering; an engineering project | HSK 4 |
工 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 工
Learning 工 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 工
How many strokes are in 工?
工 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 工 mean?
工 (gōng) means labor, work; laborer, worker. A common word with it is 工作 (gōngzuò), meaning "to work; (of a machine) to operate".
How do you pronounce 工?
工 is pronounced gōng, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 工 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 工 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 工作 and 打工?
工作 (gōngzuò) is the general word for work or a job, including a stable career. 打工 (dǎgōng) usually means a temporary, part-time, or casual job, like a student working after class.
Does 工 appear inside other characters?
Yes, 工 is a common component, and it often hints at the sound gong or a similar sound. You can see it in 功 (gōng, merit), 攻 (gōng, attack), 红 (hóng, red), and 江 (jiāng, river).