悬 meaning and stroke order
To hang or suspend; to worry; public announcement
How to write 悬, 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.
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Meaning of 悬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hang or suspend
- to worry
- public announcement
- unresolved
- baseless
- without foundation
How 悬 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Pride 心 in one's country 县, expressed by a flag; 县 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 悬
悬 (xuán) is 县 (xiàn, county) on top of 心 (xīn, heart). The etymology hint pictures pride in one's country shown by a flag hung high, so think of the county's flag hanging above your heart. 县 also hints at the sound.
悬 means to hang or suspend, and it also describes things left hanging, like an unsolved case or a worried mind. It appears mostly in compounds such as 悬挂 (xuánguà), 悬崖 (xuányá) and 悬念 (xuánniàn). Example: 墙上悬挂着一幅画。(Qiáng shang xuánguà zhe yì fú huà.) A painting hangs on the wall.
Common mistake: Learners often read 悬 as xiàn because of the 县 on top, but it is second tone xuán. Also do not confuse it with 挂 (guà), which is the everyday word for hanging something up. 悬 sounds more formal or literary.
Common words with 悬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 悬崖 | xuányá | precipice; overhanging cliff | HSK 7-9 |
| 悬挂 | xuánguà | to suspend; to hang | HSK 7-9 |
| 悬念 | xuánniàn | suspense in a movie, play etc; concern for sb's welfare | HSK 7-9 |
| 悬殊 | xuánshū | vastly different; poles apart | HSK 7-9 |
| 悬赏 | xuánshǎng | to offer a reward; bounty | |
| 悬浮 | xuánfú | to float (in the air etc); suspension | |
| 悬疑 | xuányí | suspense | |
| 悬案 | xuán'àn | unresolved question; unresolved case |
悬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 悬
How many strokes are in 悬?
悬 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 悬 mean?
悬 (xuán) means to hang or suspend; to worry; public announcement. A common word with it is 悬崖 (xuányá), meaning "precipice; overhanging cliff".
How do you pronounce 悬?
悬 is pronounced xuán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 悬?
The radical of 悬 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 悬 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 悬?
The traditional form of 悬 is 懸. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 悬 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 悬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 悬 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 悬殊 mean and how is it used?
悬殊 (xuānshū) means a huge gap between two things, such as strength or income. Example: 双方实力悬殊。(Shuāngfāng shílì xuánshū.) The two sides are very unequal in strength.
Can 悬 describe a story that keeps you guessing?
Yes. 悬念 (xuánniàn) is suspense, and 悬疑 (xuányí) describes the suspense or mystery genre, as in 悬疑片 (xuányí piàn), a suspense film. The idea is that the answer is left hanging.