渴 meaning and stroke order
Thirsty
How to write 渴, stroke by stroke
12 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
Meaning of 渴
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- thirsty
How 渴 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 曷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 渴
The water radical 氵 on the left tells you the meaning: you want water. The right side 曷 (hé) gives the sound, so picture yourself asking "where is the water" when you are thirsty.
渴 (kě) usually works like an adjective meaning thirsty, often with 很 or 了. Example: 我渴了，想喝水。(Wǒ kě le, xiǎng hē shuǐ.) I'm thirsty and want to drink some water. In words like 渴望 (kěwàng) it takes the figurative meaning of longing for something.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 渴 (kě) with 喝 (hē, to drink), since both share 曷. Remember that 渴 has water 氵 because you lack water, while 喝 has a mouth 口 because you drink with your mouth.
Common words with 渴
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
渴 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 渴
How many strokes are in 渴?
渴 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 渴 mean?
渴 (kě) means thirsty. A common word with it is 渴望 (kěwàng), meaning "to thirst for; to long for".
How do you pronounce 渴?
渴 is pronounced kě, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 渴?
The radical of 渴 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 渴 under this radical.
Is 渴 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 渴 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 do I say "I'm thirsty" in Chinese?
Say 我渴了 (wǒ kě le) or 我很渴 (wǒ hěn kě). You can also say 我口渴 (wǒ kǒukě), which is a little more descriptive.
Can 渴 be used for wanting things other than water?
Yes, but usually inside compounds like 渴望 (kěwàng) or 渴求 (kěqiú). For example, 渴望自由 (kěwàng zìyóu) means to long for freedom. On its own, 渴 normally just means physically thirsty.