方 meaning and stroke order
Square; power or involution (math.); upright
How to write 方, stroke by stroke
4 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
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 方
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- square
- power or involution (math.)
- upright
- honest
- fair and square
- direction
How 方 is built
Components of the character.
How to remember 方
The top part 亠 looks like a lid or a person's head, and the strokes below spread out to the sides. Picture a square tabletop with a lid on top, pointing out to different sides, which links to its meanings of square, side, and direction.
方 (fāng) rarely stands alone in daily speech. It mostly appears in very common words like 地方 (dìfang, place), 方法 (fāngfǎ, method), and 方便 (fāngbiàn, convenient). Example: 这个地方很方便。(Zhège dìfang hěn fāngbiàn.) This place is very convenient.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 方 with 万 (wàn, ten thousand), which has no dot on top, or with 放 (fàng, to put), which adds 攵 on the right and has a fourth tone. Also note that in 地方 (dìfang) the 方 is usually said in the neutral tone.
Common words with 方
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 地方 | dìfang | region; regional (away from the central administration) | HSK 1 |
| 方法 | fāngfǎ | method; way; technique; procedure | HSK 2 |
| 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction; orientation | HSK 2 |
| 方面 | fāngmiàn | respect; aspect | HSK 2 |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; suitable; to facilitate; to make things easy | HSK 2 |
| 南方 | nánfāng | south; southern direction; (in China) southern regions, often referring to areas south of | HSK 2 |
| 北方 | běifāng | north; the northern part a country | HSK 2 |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West; the Occident | HSK 2 |
| 东方 | dōngfāng | east | HSK 2 |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles | HSK 2 |
| 方式 | fāngshì | way; method; manner; mode; pattern (of behavior etc) | HSK 3 |
| 对方 | duìfāng | the other person; the other side; the other party | HSK 3 |
| 双方 | shuāngfāng | bilateral; both sides | HSK 3 |
| 另一方面 | lìng yīfāngmiàn | on the other hand; another aspect | HSK 3 |
方 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 方
Learning 方 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 方
How many strokes are in 方?
方 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 方 mean?
方 (fāng) means square; power or involution (math.); upright. A common word with it is 地方 (dìfang), meaning "region; regional (away from the central administration)".
How do you pronounce 方?
方 is pronounced fāng, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 方 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 方 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How is 方 used in math?
方 can mean a power, especially a square. For example, 平方 (píngfāng) means squared or square meters, and 三的二次方 (sān de èr cì fāng) means three to the second power.
What does 方 mean in words for directions like 南方 and 西方?
In these words 方 means direction or region. 南方 (nánfāng) is the south or southern China, 北方 (běifāng) is the north, and 西方 (xīfāng) often means the West as a culture.