熊 meaning and stroke order
Bear; (coll.) to scold; to rebuke; (coll.) weak; incapable
How to write 熊, 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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Meaning of 熊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bear
- (coll.) to scold; to rebuke
- (coll.) weak; incapable
How 熊 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A bear's 能 footprints 灬.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 熊
The top part 能 (néng, able) pictures a strong, capable animal, and the four dots 灬 at the bottom are its paw prints. A bear 熊 (xióng) is the able beast that leaves four footprints behind it.
熊 (xióng) appears in many animal names, such as 熊猫 (xióngmāo, panda) and 北极熊 (běijíxióng, polar bear). In casual speech it can also mean to scold someone, or describe a person as weak and useless. Example: 我在动物园看到了大熊猫。(Wǒ zài dòngwùyuán kàn dào le dàxióngmāo.) I saw a giant panda at the zoo.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 熊 (xióng) with its top part 能 (néng, can) and forget the four dots, or write the dots as 火. Also note the order in 熊猫 is bear plus cat, not cat plus bear, so do not write 猫熊 in mainland usage.
Common words with 熊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大熊猫 | dàxióngmāo | giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) | HSK 5 |
| 熊猫 | xióngmāo | panda | |
| 北极熊 | běijíxióng | polar bear | |
| 浣熊 | huànxióng | raccoon (Procyon lotor) | |
| 熊熊 | xióngxióng | raging; flaming | |
| 泰迪熊 | tàidíxióng | (loanword) teddy bear | |
| 狗熊 | gǒuxióng | black bear; coward | |
| 灰熊 | huīxióng | grizzly bear | |
| 棕熊 | zōngxióng | brown bear | |
| 白熊 | báixióng | polar bear; white bear |
熊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 熊
Learning 熊 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 熊
How many strokes are in 熊?
熊 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 熊 mean?
熊 (xióng) means bear; (coll.) to scold; to rebuke; (coll.) weak; incapable. A common word with it is 大熊猫 (dàxióngmāo), meaning "giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)".
How do you pronounce 熊?
熊 is pronounced xióng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 熊?
The radical of 熊 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 熊 under this radical.
Is 熊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 熊 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 熊熊 mean, and is it about bears?
熊熊 (xióngxióng) describes fire burning fiercely, as in 熊熊大火 (xióngxióng dàhuǒ, a raging fire). It has nothing to do with bears in this use.
Why can 狗熊 mean coward?
狗熊 (gǒuxióng) literally means black bear, but in everyday speech it is also an insult for a timid or useless person. This matches the colloquial sense of 熊 as weak or incapable, as in 你真熊 (nǐ zhēn xióng, you are so spineless).