括 meaning and stroke order
To embrace, to enclose, to include
How to write 括, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
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- 4
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- 8
- 9
Meaning of 括
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to tie up; to tighten up
- (bound form) to include; to comprise
- to put (text) in brackets
- Taiwan pr. [gua1]
How 括 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 舌 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 括
括 is built from the hand radical 扌 and 舌 (shé, tongue), which the data lists as the sound part. Picture a hand gathering things together and tying them up, so everything is included in one bundle.
括 rarely stands alone and mostly appears in words like 包括 (bāokuò, to include), 概括 (gàikuò, to summarize) and 括号 (kuòhào, brackets). Example: 价格包括早餐。(Jiàgé bāokuò zǎocān.) The price includes breakfast.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 括 with 活 (huó, to live), which has the water radical 氵 instead of the hand radical 扌. Also note the tone is fourth tone kuò, not guā, even though 舌 might suggest a different sound.
Common words with 括
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
括 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 括
How many strokes are in 括?
括 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 括 mean?
括 (kuò) means to embrace, to enclose, to include. A common word with it is 包括 (bāokuò), meaning "to comprise; to include".
How do you pronounce 括?
括 is pronounced kuò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 括?
The radical of 括 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 括 under this radical.
Is 括 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 括 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 包括 and 包含?
包括 (bāokuò) is used to list the items that make up a whole, as in 包括你和我. 包含 (bāohán) often describes something contained inside, like a meaning or feeling, as in 这句话包含很多意思.
Why do some people pronounce 括 as guā?
The dictionary notes that guā is the Taiwan pronunciation. In mainland standard Mandarin it is kuò, so 括号 is said kuòhào.