掛 meaning and stroke order
To suspend, to put up, to hang; suspense
How to write 掛, stroke by stroke
11 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 掛
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 掛 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 卦 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 掛
A hand 扌 hangs something up, and 卦 (guà), the divination trigram, gives the sound. Picture a hand hanging a fortune-telling chart on the wall.
掛 (guà) is the everyday verb for hanging things on a wall or hook, and it also means to hang up the phone or to register at a hospital. It shows up in emotional words like 牽掛 (qiānguà), to worry about someone. Example: 把衣服掛起來。(Bǎ yīfu guà qǐlái.) Hang up the clothes.
Common mistake: In mainland simplified Chinese this character is written 挂, with 圭 on the right instead of 卦, so learners often mix the two forms. Also note that 掛電話 (guà diànhuà) means to hang up the phone, while in some dialects it means to make a call. Check the context.
Common words with 掛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 掛念 | guàniàn | to feel anxious about; to have (sth) weighing on one's mind | HSK 7-9 |
| 懸掛 | xuánguà | to suspend; to hang | HSK 7-9 |
| 牽掛 | qiānguà | to worry about; to be concerned about | HSK 7-9 |
| 掛鉤 | guàgōu | to couple; to link; to hook together; (fig.) (preceded by 與|与[yu3] + {entity}) to establis | HSK 7-9 |
| 掛號 | guàhào | to register (at a hospital etc); to send by registered mail | HSK 7-9 |
| 掛失 | guàshī | to report the loss of something | HSK 7-9 |
| 掛斷 | guàduàn | to hang up (a phone) | |
| 一絲不掛 | yīsībùguà | not wearing one thread (idiom); absolutely naked; without a stitch of clothing | |
| 掛線 | guàxiàn | to hang up the phone | |
| 倒掛 | dàoguà | lit. to hang upside down; fig. topsy-turvy and inequitable, e.g. manufacturing and trading |
Questions about 掛
How many strokes are in 掛?
掛 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 掛 mean?
掛 (guà) means to suspend, to put up, to hang; suspense. 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 掛?
掛 is pronounced guà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 掛?
The radical of 掛 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 掛 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 掛?
掛 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 挂, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 掛號 (guàhào) mean at a hospital?
It means to register and get a queue number before seeing a doctor. In Chinese hospitals you usually 掛號 first, then wait to be called. It can also mean sending a letter by registered mail.
Why does 掛了 (guà le) sometimes mean someone died or failed?
In casual slang, 掛了 can mean someone died, a device broke, or a student failed an exam. It is very informal, so avoid it in serious or polite situations.