懇 meaning and stroke order
Sincere, earnest, cordial
How to write 懇, stroke by stroke
17 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 懇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- earnest
How 懇 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 貇 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 懇
懇 (kěn) has 心 (heart) at the bottom, which gives the meaning, and 貇 on top, which gives the sound. Picture a request that comes straight from the heart, and you have the idea of being sincere and earnest.
懇 is rarely used alone. It appears in words like 诚恳 (chéngkěn, sincere), 恳求 (kěnqiú, to beg), and 恳请 (kěnqǐng, to request earnestly), which often sound formal or polite. Example: 他的态度很诚恳。(Tā de tàidù hěn chéngkěn.) His attitude is very sincere.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 懇 (kěn) with 墾 (kěn, to open up land), because they share the same top part and the same sound. Remember that 心 (heart) means sincerity, while 土 (earth) means farming the land.
Common words with 懇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 懇
How many strokes are in 懇?
懇 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 懇 mean?
懇 (kěn) means sincere, earnest, cordial. A common word with it is 恳求 (kěnqiú), meaning "to beg; to beseech".
How do you pronounce 懇?
懇 is pronounced kěn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 懇?
The radical of 懇 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 懇 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 懇?
懇 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 恳, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 诚恳 and 真诚?
Both mean sincere. 诚恳 (chéngkěn) often describes an earnest attitude or tone, especially when apologizing or asking for something. 真诚 (zhēnchéng) stresses that feelings are genuine and not fake.
Is 恳请 used in everyday speech?
Not much. 恳请 (kěnqǐng) is formal and appears mostly in letters, notices, and official requests, such as 恳请您批准 (please kindly approve). In casual speech people usually just say 请 (qǐng) or 求求你 (qiú qiú nǐ).