強 meaning and stroke order
Strong, powerful, energetic
How to write 強, 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 強
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- stubborn
- unyielding
- strong
- powerful
- better
- slightly more than
- vigorous
- violent
- to force
- to compel
- to strive
- to make an effort
How 強 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bow.
弓 gives the meaning and 虫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 弓 (bow), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 強
強 has the bow 弓 (gōng) on the left, which gives the meaning: drawing a bow takes strength. The right side, 厶 over 虫, is the sound part and hints at the reading qiáng.
強 is the traditional form, and mainland China writes it 强. It usually means strong or powerful, as in 强大 (qiángdà) and 加强 (jiāqiáng). Example: 他的意志很強。(Tā de yìzhì hěn qiáng.) His will is very strong.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 強 as qiáng. In 强迫 (qiǎngpò, to force) it is third tone qiǎng, and in the sense of stubborn it is jiàng. A second common error is mixing 強 with the simplified 强 inside one text. Use the full form 強 for traditional writing and 强 for simplified writing.
Common words with 強
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 強大 | qiángdà | big and strong; formidable; powerful | HSK 3 |
| 堅強 | jiānqiáng | staunch; strong | HSK 3 |
| 強烈 | qiángliè | strong; intense | HSK 3 |
| 加強 | jiāqiáng | to reinforce; to strengthen; to enhance | HSK 3 |
| 強調 | qiángdiào | to emphasize (a statement); to stress | HSK 3 |
| 強迫 | qiǎngpò | to compel; to force | HSK 5 |
| 增強 | zēngqiáng | to increase; to strengthen | HSK 5 |
| 強度 | qiángdù | strength; intensity | HSK 5 |
| 強壯 | qiángzhuàng | strong; sturdy | HSK 6 |
| 強盜 | qiángdào | to rob (with force); bandit | HSK 6 |
| 強化 | qiánghuà | to strengthen; to intensify | HSK 6 |
| 頑強 | wánqiáng | tenacious; hard to defeat | HSK 6 |
| 強勢 | qiángshì | strong; powerful | HSK 6 |
| 勉強 | miǎnqiǎng | to do with difficulty; to force sb to do sth | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 強
How many strokes are in 強?
強 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 強 mean?
強 (qiáng) means strong, powerful, energetic. A common word with it is 强大 (qiángdà), meaning "big and strong; formidable; powerful".
How do you pronounce 強?
強 is pronounced qiáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 強?
The radical of 強 is 弓, which carries the idea of "bow". Dictionaries list 強 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 強?
強 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 强, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I know which pronunciation of 強 to use?
Use qiáng when it means strong or better, as in 坚强 (jiānqiáng). Use qiǎng when it means to force or make an effort, as in 强迫 (qiǎngpò). Use jiàng when it describes someone stubborn or unyielding.
Can 強 mean slightly more than?
Yes. After a number, 強 can mean a little over that amount. This use is less common in everyday speech than strong or powerful.