窿 meaning and stroke order
Mine shaft; cavity, hole
How to write 窿, stroke by stroke
16 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 窿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cavity
- hole
How 窿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hole.
穴 gives the meaning and 隆 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 窿
窿 is a 穴 (xué, cave or hole) on top of 隆 (lóng), which gives the sound. Picture a hole dug into the ground that sounds like lóng.
窿 almost never appears alone in modern Chinese. You will mostly see it in 窟窿 (kūlong), a common word for a hole, and also figuratively for a debt or a gap in money. Example: 袜子上有个窟窿。(Wàzi shang yǒu ge kūlong.) There is a hole in my sock.
Common mistake: In 窟窿 the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone, kūlong, so learners who stress it as a full second tone lóng sound stiff. Also do not confuse 窿 with 隆 (lóng, grand or bulging), which lacks the 穴 top.
Common words with 窿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 窟窿 | kūlong | hole; pocket | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 窿
How many strokes are in 窿?
窿 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 窿 mean?
窿 (lóng) means mine shaft; cavity, hole. A common word with it is 窟窿 (kūlong), meaning "hole; pocket".
How do you pronounce 窿?
窿 is pronounced lóng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 窿?
The radical of 窿 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 窿 under this radical.
Is 窿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 窿 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 窟窿 mean when talking about money?
Figuratively, 窟窿 can mean a financial hole, like a debt or a shortfall. For example, 补窟窿 (bǔ kūlong) means to cover a deficit or patch up a loss.
Is 窿 related to 窟?
Both have the 穴 top, which relates to holes and caves, and they pair together in 窟窿. 窟 (kū) alone means a cave or den, as in 石窟 (shíkū), stone grottoes.