画 meaning and stroke order
To draw; to paint; picture; painting (CL:幅[fu2],張|张[zhang1]); to draw (a line) (variant of 劃|划[hua4])
How to write 画, 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 画
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to draw; to paint
- picture; painting (CL:幅[fu2],張|张[zhang1])
- to draw (a line) (variant of 劃|划[hua4])
- stroke of a Chinese character (variant of 劃|划[hua4])
- (calligraphy) horizontal stroke (variant of 劃|划[hua4])
How 画 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A painting on an easel; compare 畫, which includes the brush.
Radical: 田 (field), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 画
Picture 田 as a framed painting sitting in 凵, an easel or stand, with 一 as the top bar of the easel. A painting on an easel gives you 画 (huà), picture or to draw.
画 works as a verb meaning to draw or paint, and as a noun meaning a picture, often as 画儿 (huàr) in spoken northern Chinese. Paintings are counted with 幅 (fú) or 张 (zhāng). Example: 我女儿喜欢画猫。(Wǒ nǚ'ér xǐhuan huà māo.) My daughter likes drawing cats.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 画 (huà) with 话 (huà, speech) because they sound the same. Remember that 话 has the speech radical 讠 and 画 has 田 inside a frame. Also note that 田 sits inside 凵, so write the 田 before closing the frame with 凵.
Common words with 画
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 画家 | huàjiā | painter | HSK 2 |
| 画儿 | huàr | picture; drawing | HSK 2 |
| 图画 | túhuà | drawing; picture | HSK 3 |
| 动画片 | dònghuàpiàn | animated film | HSK 4 |
| 画面 | huàmiàn | scene; tableau | HSK 5 |
| 漫画 | mànhuà | comics; cartoon; caricature | HSK 5 |
| 绘画 | huìhuà | to draw; to paint | HSK 6 |
| 动画 | dònghuà | animation; cartoon | HSK 6 |
| 油画 | yóuhuà | oil painting | HSK 7-9 |
| 壁画 | bìhuà | mural (painting); fresco | HSK 7-9 |
| 指手画脚 | zhǐshǒu-huàjiǎo | to gesticulate while talking (idiom); to explain by waving one's hands | HSK 7-9 |
| 画展 | huàzhǎn | art exhibition | HSK 7-9 |
| 勾画 | gōuhuà | to sketch out; to delineate | HSK 7-9 |
| 国画 | guóhuà | traditional Chinese painting | HSK 7-9 |
画 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 画
How many strokes are in 画?
画 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 画 mean?
画 (huà) means to draw; to paint; picture; painting (CL:幅[fu2],張|张[zhang1]); to draw (a line) (variant of 劃|划[hua4]). A common word with it is 画家 (huàjiā), meaning "painter".
How do you pronounce 画?
画 is pronounced huà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 画?
The radical of 画 is 田, which carries the idea of "field". Dictionaries list 画 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 画?
The traditional form of 画 is 畫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 画 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 画 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 画 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 画 and 绘画?
画 is the everyday word for drawing or a picture. 绘画 (huìhuà) is more formal and often refers to painting as an art form or school subject.
Can 画 mean a stroke of a Chinese character?
Yes. In this sense 画 is used like 划 (huà), as in counting strokes or a horizontal stroke in calligraphy. In everyday modern writing, 笔画 (bǐhuà) is the common word for a character stroke.