恭 meaning and stroke order
Polite, respectful, reverent
How to write 恭, 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 恭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- respectful
How 恭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
⺗ gives the meaning and 共 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺗ (heart), shared by 3 characters on this site.
How to remember 恭
恭 (gōng) puts 共 (gòng, together) on top of ⺗, a form of the heart radical, and 共 also gives the sound. Picture people coming together with a respectful heart.
恭 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in polite set words like 恭喜 (gōngxǐ) and 恭维 (gōngwéi). Example: 恭喜你考上大学。(Gōngxǐ nǐ kǎo shàng dàxué.) Congratulations on getting into university.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 心 or as 小 with a dot missing. The bottom of 恭 is ⺗, written as a vertical stroke with dots on each side and one more dot on the right, not a full 心. Also keep the first tone gōng and do not confuse it with 共 (gòng), which is fourth tone.
Common words with 恭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 恭喜 | gōngxǐ | to congratulate; (interj.) congratulations! | HSK 7-9 |
| 恭维 | gōngwéi | to compliment; to praise | HSK 7-9 |
| 洗耳恭听 | xǐ'ěrgōngtīng | to listen with respectful attention; (a polite request to sb to speak) | |
| 恭候 | gōnghòu | to look forward to sth; to wait respectfully | |
| 恭喜发财 | gōngxǐfācái | May you have a prosperous New Year! (New Year's greeting) |
恭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 恭
How many strokes are in 恭?
恭 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 恭 mean?
恭 (gōng) means polite, respectful, reverent. A common word with it is 恭喜 (gōngxǐ), meaning "to congratulate; (interj.) congratulations!".
How do you pronounce 恭?
恭 is pronounced gōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 恭?
The radical of 恭 is ⺗, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 恭 under this radical.
Is 恭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 恭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 恭喜 and 祝贺?
Both mean congratulations. 恭喜 (gōngxǐ) is warm and very common in speech, especially for happy events and holidays. 祝贺 (zhùhè) sounds a bit more formal and is common in writing and official speeches.
Is 恭维 a good thing or a bad thing?
恭维 (gōngwéi) means to compliment, but it often suggests flattery that is not fully sincere. When someone praises you, saying 您过奖了 (nín guòjiǎng le) is a modest reply, while calling their words 恭维 can hint they are just being nice.