簧 meaning and stroke order
Reed; lock, metal spring
How to write 簧, stroke by stroke
17 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 簧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- reed (of a music instrument)
- spring; coil
How 簧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bamboo.
⺮ gives the meaning and 黄 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺮ (bamboo), shared by 149 characters on this site.
How to remember 簧
The bamboo top ⺮ tells you the first reeds were thin strips of bamboo, and 黄 (huáng) below gives the sound. Picture a springy bamboo strip that vibrates and bounces back, like a reed in an instrument or a metal spring.
簧 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in words like 弹簧 (tánhuáng, spring) and 簧片 (huángpiàn, reed of an instrument). Example: 这个弹簧坏了。(Zhège tánhuáng huài le.) This spring is broken.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 艹 (grass) instead of ⺮ (bamboo), mixing it up with words that look similar. Also keep the second tone, huáng, the same as 黄, not huàng.
Common words with 簧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 弹簧 | tánhuáng | spring |
簧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 簧
How many strokes are in 簧?
簧 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 簧 mean?
簧 (huáng) means reed; lock, metal spring. A common word with it is 弹簧 (tánhuáng), meaning "spring".
How do you pronounce 簧?
簧 is pronounced huáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 簧?
The radical of 簧 is ⺮, which carries the idea of "bamboo". Dictionaries list 簧 under this radical.
What does the phrase 巧舌如簧 mean?
巧舌如簧 (qiǎo shé rú huáng) describes someone with a smooth, glib tongue, as if their tongue were a vibrating reed. It is usually a criticism of someone who talks persuasively but insincerely.
How do you say spring as in the season versus a metal spring?
The season is 春天 (chūntiān), while a metal coil spring is 弹簧 (tánhuáng). They are completely different words, so do not use 簧 for the season.