挂 meaning and stroke order
To hang; to suspend (from a hook etc); to hang up (the phone); (of a line) to be dead
How to write 挂, 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.
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Meaning of 挂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hang; to suspend (from a hook etc)
- to hang up (the phone)
- (of a line) to be dead
- to be worried; to be concerned
- (dialect) to make a phone call
- to register (at a hospital); to make an appointment (with a doctor)
How 挂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 圭 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 挂
挂 is a hand 扌 plus 圭 (guī), which gives the sound. Picture a hand lifting something up to hang it on a hook.
挂 is used for hanging things on walls or hooks, and also for hanging up the phone, as in 挂电话 or 挂断. It also appears in words about worry, like 挂念 (guàniàn) and 牵挂 (qiānguà), where something hangs on your mind. Example: 把衣服挂起来。(Bǎ yīfu guà qǐlái.) Hang up the clothes.
Common mistake: Learners often read 挂 as guī because of its sound part 圭, but it is fourth tone guà. Do not confuse it with 娃 (wá) or 蛙 (wā), which share 圭 but have different meanings.
Common words with 挂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 挂念 | guàniàn | to feel anxious about; to have (sth) weighing on one's mind | HSK 7-9 |
| 悬挂 | xuánguà | to suspend; to hang | HSK 7-9 |
| 牵挂 | qiānguà | to worry about; to be concerned about | HSK 7-9 |
| 挂钩 | guàgōu | to couple; to link; to hook together; (fig.) (preceded by 與|与[yu3] + {entity}) to establis | HSK 7-9 |
| 挂号 | guàhào | to register (at a hospital etc); to send by registered mail | HSK 7-9 |
| 挂失 | guàshī | to report the loss of something | HSK 7-9 |
| 挂断 | guàduàn | to hang up (a phone) | |
| 一丝不挂 | yīsībùguà | not wearing one thread (idiom); absolutely naked; without a stitch of clothing | |
| 挂线 | guàxiàn | to hang up the phone | |
| 倒挂 | dàoguà | lit. to hang upside down; fig. topsy-turvy and inequitable, e.g. manufacturing and trading |
挂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 挂
How many strokes are in 挂?
挂 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 挂 mean?
挂 (guà) means to hang; to suspend (from a hook etc); to hang up (the phone); (of a line) to be dead. A common word with it is 挂念 (guàniàn), meaning "to feel anxious about; to have (sth) weighing on one's mind".
How do you pronounce 挂?
挂 is pronounced guà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 挂?
The radical of 挂 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 挂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 挂?
The traditional form of 挂 is 掛. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 挂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 挂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 挂 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 挂号 mean at a hospital?
挂号 (guàhào) means registering at a hospital or clinic before you see a doctor. It can also mean sending a letter by registered mail.
Why do people say 挂了 to mean something failed or died?
In casual speech, 挂了 (guà le) can mean someone died, a device crashed, or a student failed an exam. It is slang, so avoid it in formal or sensitive situations.