慷 meaning and stroke order
Ardent, fervent; generous, magnanimous
How to write 慷, stroke by stroke
14 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 慷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 慷慨[kang1 kai3]
How 慷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 康 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 慷
慷 combines the heart radical 忄 with 康 (kāng), which gives the sound. Picture a heart that is healthy and strong, like 健康 (jiànkāng), so it gives freely and feels things fervently.
慷 almost never appears alone. It lives in the word 慷慨 (kāngkǎi), which means generous with money or help, or full of strong, stirring emotion. Example: 他对朋友很慷慨。(Tā duì péngyou hěn kāngkǎi.) He is very generous to his friends.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 康 without the heart radical, since both are read kāng. Remember that 慷 in 慷慨 needs 忄 on the left, just like its partner 慨 (kǎi).
Common words with 慷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 慷慨 | kāngkǎi | vehement; fervent; generous; magnanimous | HSK 7-9 |
慷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 慷
How many strokes are in 慷?
慷 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 慷 mean?
慷 (kāng) means ardent, fervent; generous, magnanimous. A common word with it is 慷慨 (kāngkǎi), meaning "vehement; fervent; generous; magnanimous".
How do you pronounce 慷?
慷 is pronounced kāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 慷?
The radical of 慷 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 慷 under this radical.
Is 慷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 慷 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 慷慨 and 大方?
Both can mean generous. 大方 (dàfang) is more casual and can also describe a relaxed, natural manner. 慷慨 sounds more formal and can also mean passionate or impassioned, as in 慷慨激昂 (kāngkǎi jī'áng), full of fervor.
Can 慷慨 be used as a verb?
Yes, in the set phrase 慷他人之慨 (kāng tārén zhī kǎi), which means being generous with other people's money. Here 慷 and 慨 are split apart. This phrase is usually critical.