忠 meaning and stroke order
Loyalty, devotion, fidelity
How to write 忠, stroke by stroke
8 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
Meaning of 忠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- loyal; devoted; faithful
How 忠 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 中 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 忠
忠 is 中 (zhōng, middle) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). A heart that stays centered and does not waver is a loyal heart, and 中 also gives the sound zhōng.
忠 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 忠诚 (zhōngchéng, loyal) and 忠于 (zhōngyú, to be loyal to), which sound fairly formal and are common in writing, news, and speeches. Example: 他对朋友很忠诚。(Tā duì péngyou hěn zhōngchéng.) He is very loyal to his friends.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 忠 with 患 (huàn, trouble), which has two 中 shapes stacked over 心. Also keep 忠 apart from 钟 (zhōng, clock) and 终 (zhōng, end). They share the same sound and tone but have different meanings.
Common words with 忠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 忠心 | zhōngxīn | good faith; devotion | HSK 6 |
| 忠诚 | zhōngchéng | devoted; loyal | HSK 7-9 |
| 忠实 | zhōngshí | faithful | HSK 7-9 |
| 忠于 | zhōngyú | to be loyal to | HSK 7-9 |
| 忠贞 | zhōngzhēn | loyal and dependable | HSK 7-9 |
| 效忠 | xiàozhōng | to vow loyalty and devotion to | |
| 忠告 | zhōnggào | to give sb a word of advice; advice; counsel; a wise word | |
| 忠心耿耿 | zhōngxīngěnggěng | loyal and devoted (idiom); faithful and true |
忠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 忠
How many strokes are in 忠?
忠 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 忠 mean?
忠 (zhōng) means loyalty, devotion, fidelity. A common word with it is 忠心 (zhōngxīn), meaning "good faith; devotion".
How do you pronounce 忠?
忠 is pronounced zhōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 忠?
The radical of 忠 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 忠 under this radical.
Is 忠 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 忠 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 忠诚 and 忠实?
忠诚 (zhōngchéng) stresses loyalty and devotion to a person, country, or cause. 忠实 (zhōngshí) means faithful or true, and it can also describe accuracy, as in 忠实的翻译 (zhōngshí de fānyì), a faithful translation.
Does 忠告 mean loyal advice?
忠告 (zhōnggào) means sincere advice or a warning given with good intentions, often advice the listener may not want to hear. It works as both a noun and a verb, for example 我忠告你 (wǒ zhōnggào nǐ), I sincerely advise you.