弄 meaning and stroke order
To do; to manage; to handle
How to write 弄, 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 弄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to do
- to manage
- to handle
- to play with
- to fool with
- to mess with
- lane
- alley
- variant of 弄[long4]
How 弄 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two hands 廾 playing with a piece of jade 玉; 廾 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 廾 (two hands), shared by 10 characters on this site.
How to remember 弄
The top part 玉 (yù, jade) sits above 廾, a pair of hands. Picture two hands turning a piece of jade over and over, fiddling with it, and you have 弄 (nòng), to handle or play with something.
In everyday speech 弄 is a flexible verb meaning "to do, make, or handle," often followed by a result word like 错, 坏, or 好. Example: 我把电脑弄坏了。(Wǒ bǎ diànnǎo nòng huài le.) I broke the computer.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 王 (wáng) and forget the small dot that makes it 玉. Others read it as lòng in every word, but that reading is only for "lane" or "alley," so words like 弄错 and 玩弄 use nòng.
Common words with 弄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嘲弄 | cháonòng | to tease; to poke fun at | HSK 7-9 |
| 卖弄 | màinong | to show off; to make a display of | HSK 7-9 |
| 弄虚作假 | nòngxū-zuòjiǎ | to practice fraud (idiom); by trickery | HSK 7-9 |
| 弄错 | nòngcuò | to err; to get sth wrong | |
| 玩弄 | wánnòng | to play with; to toy with | |
| 弄死 | nòngsǐ | to kill; to put to death | |
| 愚弄 | yúnòng | to make a fool out of; to fool | |
| 弄伤 | nòngshāng | to bruise; to hurt (something) | |
| 弄坏 | nònghuài | to ruin; to spoil | |
| 弄脏 | nòngzāng | to make dirty; to defile | |
| 弄清 | nòngqīng | to clarify; to fully understand | |
| 戏弄 | xìnòng | to play tricks on; to make fun of | |
| 糊弄 | hùnong | to fool; to deceive | |
| 捉弄 | zhuōnòng | to tease |
弄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 弄
How many strokes are in 弄?
弄 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 弄 mean?
弄 (nòng) means to do; to manage; to handle. A common word with it is 嘲弄 (cháonòng), meaning "to tease; to poke fun at".
How do you pronounce 弄?
弄 is pronounced nòng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 弄?
The radical of 弄 is 廾, which carries the idea of "two hands". Dictionaries list 弄 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 弄?
The traditional form of 弄 is 挵 and 衖. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 弄 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 弄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 弄 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 弄 and 做?
做 (zuò) is the neutral word for doing or making something. 弄 is more casual and vague, like "mess with" or "get something done somehow," and it often appears with a result, as in 弄好 (nònghǎo, to get it sorted).
Where would I see the reading lòng?
The reading lòng means a lane or alley. You will meet it mainly in place names and in Shanghai's old lane neighborhoods, called 弄堂 (lòngtáng).