情 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) feelings; emotion; sentiment; passion; (bound form) situation; condition
How to write 情, 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 情
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) feelings; emotion; sentiment; passion
- (bound form) situation; condition
How 情 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 青 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 情
The left side 忄 is the heart radical, so 情 (qíng) is about what the heart feels. The right side 青 (qīng) gives the sound, so think of a heart that feels fresh and young, full of emotion.
情 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 心情 (xīnqíng, mood), 感情 (gǎnqíng, feelings), and 爱情 (àiqíng, romantic love). It can also mean situation, as in 情况 (qíngkuàng) and 事情 (shìqing). Example: 我今天心情很好。(Wǒ jīntiān xīnqíng hěn hǎo.) I am in a good mood today.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 情 (qíng) with 请 (qǐng, please) and 清 (qīng, clear), which share 青 but use 讠 (speech) and 氵 (water). Check the left side and the tone: 情 is second tone.
Common words with 情
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 事情 | shìqing | affair; matter; thing; business | HSK 2 |
| 爱情 | àiqíng | romance; love (romantic) | HSK 2 |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood; frame of mind | HSK 2 |
| 热情 | rèqíng | cordial; enthusiastic | HSK 2 |
| 情况 | qíngkuàng | circumstances; state of affairs; situation | HSK 3 |
| 感情 | gǎnqíng | emotion; sentiment; affection; feelings between two persons | HSK 3 |
| 情感 | qínggǎn | feeling; emotion | HSK 3 |
| 表情 | biǎoqíng | (facial) expression; to express one's feelings | HSK 4 |
| 同情 | tóngqíng | to sympathize with; sympathy | HSK 4 |
| 情景 | qíngjǐng | scene; spectacle; circumstances; situation | HSK 4 |
| 情形 | qíngxing | circumstances; situation; state of affairs | HSK 5 |
| 情节 | qíngjié | circumstances; plot; storyline | HSK 5 |
| 神情 | shénqíng | look; expression | HSK 5 |
| 情绪 | qíngxù | mood; state of mind | HSK 6 |
情 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 情
How many strokes are in 情?
情 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 情 mean?
情 (qíng) means (bound form) feelings; emotion; sentiment; passion; (bound form) situation; condition. A common word with it is 事情 (shìqing), meaning "affair; matter; thing; business".
How do you pronounce 情?
情 is pronounced qíng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 情?
The radical of 情 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 情 under this radical.
Is 情 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 情 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.
Why is 情 pronounced with a neutral tone in 事情?
In 事情 (shìqing) the second syllable is usually read in the neutral tone in standard Mandarin. In other words like 心情 (xīnqíng) and 情况 (qíngkuàng), it keeps its second tone.
What is the difference between 感情 and 心情?
心情 (xīnqíng) is your mood at a given moment, like feeling happy or down today. 感情 (gǎnqíng) means emotions in general or the bond between people, such as the affection between friends or a couple.