杭 meaning and stroke order
Ford; surname
How to write 杭, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 5
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- 7
- 8
How 杭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Tree.
木 gives the meaning and 亢 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 杭
杭 combines 木 (mù, tree or wood) with 亢 (kàng), which gives the sound. Picture wooden boats crossing a river at a ford, and remember the sound from 亢.
Today 杭 is used almost entirely in the city name 杭州 (Hángzhōu), the capital of Zhejiang province, and as a surname. Example: 我去过杭州。(Wǒ qù guo Hángzhōu.) I have been to Hangzhou.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 杭 with 航 (háng, to sail), which has the same sound and the same phonetic 亢 but uses 舟 (boat) on the left. Write 杭州 for the city and 航班 (hángbān) for a flight.
杭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 杭
How many strokes are in 杭?
杭 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 杭 mean?
杭 (háng) means ford; surname.
How do you pronounce 杭?
杭 is pronounced háng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 杭?
The radical of 杭 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 杭 under this radical.
Is 杭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 杭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is Hangzhou famous for?
杭州 is known for 西湖 (Xīhú, West Lake) and 龙井茶 (Lóngjǐng chá, Longjing tea). A well known saying is 上有天堂，下有苏杭 (shàng yǒu tiāntáng, xià yǒu Sū Háng), meaning "above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou."
Is 杭 pronounced the same as 行 in 银行?
Yes, both are háng with the second tone. They are different characters with different meanings, so 银行 (yínháng, bank) never uses 杭.