纵 meaning and stroke order
To indulge in, to give free reign to
How to write 纵, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 纵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- vertical; north-south (Taiwan pr. [zong1])
- from front to back; longitudinal; lengthwise (Taiwan pr. [zong1])
- military unit corresponding to an army corps (Taiwan pr. [zong1])
- (bound form) to release (a captive)
- to indulge
- to leap up
How 纵 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
纟 gives the meaning and 从 hints at the sound.
Radical: 纟 (silk), shared by 143 characters on this site.
How to remember 纵
纵 is pictophonetic: the silk radical 纟 (thread) gives the meaning and 从 (cóng) hints at the sound. Picture threads hanging straight down, two people 从 following each other in a long vertical line, and letting the thread run free.
纵 appears mostly in compounds. Some cover letting go or indulging, like 放纵 (fàngzòng) and 纵容 (zòngróng). Others cover the vertical or lengthwise sense, like 纵横交错 (zònghéng-jiāocuò). Example: 父母不能纵容孩子。(Fùmǔ bù néng zòngróng háizi.) Parents should not let children get away with bad behavior.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 纵 (zòng) with 从 (cóng) and drop the silk radical, or say it with the second tone like 从. Note too that 纵 is fourth tone in mainland Mandarin, even though Taiwan uses zōng for the vertical sense.
Common words with 纵
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 操纵 | cāozòng | to operate; to control | HSK 6 |
| 放纵 | fàngzòng | to indulge; to pamper | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵容 | zòngróng | to tolerate or condone wrongdoing; to allow (sb) to engage in bad behavior | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵然 | zòngrán | even if; even though | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵观 | zòngguān | to survey comprehensively; an overall survey | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵深 | zòngshēn | depth (from front to rear); depth (into a territory) | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵横交错 | zònghéng-jiāocuò | criss-crossed (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 纵火 | zònghuǒ | to set on fire; to commit arson | |
| 纵使 | zòngshǐ | even if; even though | |
| 纵队 | zòngduì | column; file (formation of people) (CL:列[lie4],路[lu4]); PLA army corps (1946–1949) | |
| 纵情 | zòngqíng | to your heart's content | |
| 操纵杆 | cāozònggǎn | joystick; control lever |
纵 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 纵
How many strokes are in 纵?
纵 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 纵 mean?
纵 (zòng) means to indulge in, to give free reign to. A common word with it is 操纵 (cāozòng), meaning "to operate; to control".
How do you pronounce 纵?
纵 is pronounced zòng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 纵?
The radical of 纵 is 纟, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 纵 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 纵?
The traditional form of 纵 is 縱. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 纵 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 纵 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 纵 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 纵 and 横?
纵 (zòng) means vertical, lengthwise, or north-south. 横 (héng) means horizontal or east-west. Together they form 纵横 (zònghéng), meaning criss-crossing or moving freely in all directions.
How is 纵然 used in a sentence?
纵然 (zòngrán) means even if and is more literary than 即使 (jíshǐ). It usually pairs with 也 in the second clause, as in 纵然很难，我也要试。(Zòngrán hěn nán, wǒ yě yào shì.) Even if it is hard, I will try.