構 meaning and stroke order
To compose, to make; building, frame, structure
How to write 構, stroke by stroke
14 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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- 14
Meaning of 構
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to construct
- to form
- to make up
- to compose
- literary composition
- paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera)
How 構 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wood.
木 gives the meaning and 冓 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 構
構 is pictophonetic: 木 (wood) on the left gives the meaning, and 冓 (gòu) on the right gives the sound. Picture wooden beams fitted together into a frame, which is how you build a structure.
構 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in compound words about structure and composing, from physical frames to abstract ideas. Example: 这个句子的结构很简单。(Zhège jùzi de jiégòu hěn jiǎndān.) The structure of this sentence is simple.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 構 with 購 (gòu, to buy) and 溝 (gōu, ditch), which share the same right side 冓. Check the left part: wood 木 for building, shell 貝 for buying, water 氵 for a ditch.
Common words with 構
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 機構 | jīgòu | mechanism; structure | HSK 4 |
| 結構 | jiégòu | structure; composition | HSK 4 |
| 構成 | gòuchéng | to constitute; to form | HSK 4 |
| 構造 | gòuzào | structure; composition | HSK 4 |
| 構建 | gòujiàn | to construct (sth abstract) | HSK 6 |
| 虛構 | xūgòu | to make up; fabrication | HSK 7-9 |
| 構思 | gòusī | to design; to plot | HSK 7-9 |
| 構想 | gòuxiǎng | to conceive; concept | HSK 7-9 |
| 慈善機構 | císhànjīgòu | charity | |
| 架構 | jiàgòu | to construct; to build; structure; framework; architecture |
Questions about 構
How many strokes are in 構?
構 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 構 mean?
構 (gòu) means to compose, to make; building, frame, structure. A common word with it is 机构 (jīgòu), meaning "mechanism; structure".
How do you pronounce 構?
構 is pronounced gòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 構?
The radical of 構 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 構 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 構?
構 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 构, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do I see 构 instead of 構 in most textbooks?
构 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore, so words like 结构 and 机构 appear that way there. 構 is the form used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japanese kanji.
What is the difference between 构成 and 构造?
构成 (gòuchéng) is usually a verb meaning to make up or constitute, as in 由三部分构成 (made up of three parts). 构造 (gòuzào) is usually a noun for the physical or internal structure of something, like the structure of a machine or the body.