葛 meaning and stroke order
An edible bean; vine; surname
How to write 葛, stroke by stroke
12 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 葛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- kudzu (Pueraria lobata)
- hemp cloth
How 葛 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plant.
艹 gives the meaning and 曷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 葛
The grass radical 艹 on top tells you this is a plant, and 曷 (hé) underneath gives the sound. Picture a climbing vine, kudzu, growing over the 曷 part like a green roof.
葛 (gé) names the kudzu vine and the coarse cloth once woven from its fibers. Today you mostly meet it in the word 瓜葛 (guāgé), which literally means melon and kudzu vines tangled together and is used for links between people or matters, often in the negative. Example: 我跟这件事没有瓜葛。(Wǒ gēn zhè jiàn shì méiyǒu guāgé.) I have no connection to this matter.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 葛 with 喝 (hē, to drink) and 渴 (kě, thirsty), which share the 曷 part. Check the top: only 葛 has the grass radical 艹, so it relates to plants.
Common words with 葛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瓜葛 | guāgé | connection; association |
葛 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 葛
Learning 葛 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 葛
How many strokes are in 葛?
葛 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 葛 mean?
葛 (gé) means an edible bean; vine; surname. A common word with it is 瓜葛 (guāgé), meaning "connection; association".
How do you pronounce 葛?
葛 is pronounced gé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 葛?
The radical of 葛 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 葛 under this radical.
Is 葛 a common Chinese surname?
Yes, 葛 is a real surname, as in the actor 葛优 (Gě Yōu). As a surname it is usually read in the third tone, gě, rather than gé.
What is 葛根 and why do I see it in shops?
葛根 (gégēn) is kudzu root. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine and made into a starch powder, 葛根粉, that people cook into a drink or paste.