憎 meaning and stroke order
To abhor, to detest, to hate
How to write 憎, stroke by stroke
15 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 憎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to detest
How 憎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 曾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 憎
憎 combines the heart radical 忄 with 曾 (céng), which gives the sound. Picture a heart that has once (曾) been hurt and now holds a grudge.
憎 is formal and mostly appears in compound words like 憎恨 (zēnghèn) and 可憎 (kězēng) rather than on its own. In everyday speech people usually say 恨 (hèn) or 讨厌 (tǎoyàn) instead. Example: 他憎恨不公平的事。(Tā zēnghèn bù gōngpíng de shì.) He detests injustice.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 憎 (zēng) with 增 (zēng, to increase) and 赠 (zèng, to give as a gift), which share the 曾 part. Check the left side: the heart 忄 means hate, earth 土 means increase, and money 贝 means gift.
Common words with 憎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 憎恨 | zēnghèn | to detest; hatred | |
| 憎恶 | zēng'è | to hate evil | |
| 可憎 | kězēng | disgusting |
憎 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 憎
How many strokes are in 憎?
憎 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 憎 mean?
憎 (zēng) means to abhor, to detest, to hate. A common word with it is 憎恨 (zēnghèn), meaning "to detest; hatred".
How do you pronounce 憎?
憎 is pronounced zēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 憎?
The radical of 憎 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 憎 under this radical.
What is the difference between 憎恨 and 讨厌?
憎恨 (zēnghèn) is a strong, serious word for deep hatred, often toward injustice or an enemy. 讨厌 (tǎoyàn) is everyday and mild, closer to 'to dislike' or 'annoying'.
How do you pronounce 憎恶 and what does it mean?
It is read zēng'è, with 恶 in the fourth tone. It means to loathe or abhor, and is often used for hating evil or something morally wrong.