横 meaning and stroke order
Horizontal; across; crosswise
How to write 横, stroke by stroke
15 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
Meaning of 横
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- horizontal
- across
- crosswise
- horizontal stroke (in Chinese characters)
- to place (sth) flat (on a surface)
- to cross (a river, etc)
- harsh and unreasonable
- unexpected
How 横 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Tree.
木 gives the meaning and 黄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 横
横 is pictophonetic: 木 (wood) gives the meaning and 黄 (huáng) hints at the sound. Picture a wooden beam laid across, like the crossbar of a gate, to remember "horizontal, across."
In héng, 横 means horizontal or crosswise and appears in words like 横跨 (héngkuà, to span) and 横穿 (héngchuān, to cross). It is also the name of the horizontal stroke 一 when you learn to write characters. Example: 这座桥横跨长江。(Zhè zuò qiáo héngkuà Cháng Jiāng.) This bridge spans the Yangtze River.
Common mistake: Learners often say héng for every use, but in the sense "harsh and unreasonable" it is read hèng, as in 蛮横 (mánhèng, rude and unreasonable). Also do not confuse the right side 黄 with 寅 or 演, and note that the traditional form 橫 writes 黃 slightly differently.
Common words with 横
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 横向 | héngxiàng | horizontal; orthogonal | HSK 7-9 |
| 横七竖八 | héngqī-shùbā | in disorder; at sixes and sevens (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵横交错 | zònghéng-jiāocuò | criss-crossed (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 横跨 | héngkuà | to span; to stretch across | |
| 才华横溢 | cáihuáhéngyì | brimming over with talent (esp. literary); brilliant | |
| 横扫 | héngsǎo | to sweep away; to sweep across | |
| 横行 | héngxíng | to go on the rampage; to riot | |
| 横穿 | héngchuān | to cross; to traverse | |
| 横渡 | héngdù | to cross (a body of water) | |
| 横越 | héngyuè | to cross; to pass over | |
| 横梁 | héngliáng | beam | |
| 专横 | zhuānhèng | imperious; peremptory | |
| 横幅 | héngfú | horizontal scroll; banner |
横 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 横
How many strokes are in 横?
横 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 横 mean?
横 (héng) means horizontal; across; crosswise. A common word with it is 横向 (héngxiàng), meaning "horizontal; orthogonal".
How do you pronounce 横?
横 is pronounced héng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 横?
The radical of 横 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 横 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 横?
The traditional form of 横 is 橫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 横 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 横 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 横 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 横 in Chinese?
The usual opposite is 竖 (shù, vertical) or 纵 (zòng, lengthwise). You see the pairs in idioms like 横七竖八 (héngqī-shùbā, in a mess) and 纵横交错 (zònghéng-jiāocuò, criss-crossed).
Does 横行 mean walking sideways?
Literally it can, like a crab moving sideways, but in everyday use 横行 (héngxíng) means to run rampant or act lawlessly. For example, 横行霸道 (héngxíng bàdào) describes someone who bullies others and does whatever they like.