行 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) to walk; to go; to travel; (literary) trip; journey; visit; (bound form) temporary; makeshift
How to write 行, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 行
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to walk; to go; to travel
- (literary) trip; journey; visit
- (bound form) temporary; makeshift
- (bound form) current; in circulation
- (bound form) to do; to perform
- capable; competent
- (bound form) row; line
- (bound form) line of business; trade; profession
- (bound form) commercial firm
- (bound form) to rank (first, second etc) among one's siblings (by age)
- (in data tables) row; (Tw) column
- classifier for rows or lines
- used in 道行[dao4 heng2]
How 行 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To take small steps 亍 with one's feet 彳.
How to remember 行
行 is built from 彳 and 亍, two pieces that both suggest small steps. Picture the left foot 彳 and the right foot 亍 taking turns, and you get walking, going, and moving.
As xíng, 行 means to go or travel and appears in words like 旅行 (lǚxíng) and 进行 (jìnxíng). On its own in speech it often means "OK, that works". Example: 明天去,行吗? (Míngtiān qù, xíng ma?) Is going tomorrow OK?
Common mistake: Learners often read 银行 as yínxíng. In words about rows, trades, or firms, 行 is read háng, so it is 银行 (yínháng), bank.
Common words with 行
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question | HSK 2 |
| 进行 | jìnxíng | (of a process etc) to proceed; to be in progress; to be underway; (of people) to carry out | HSK 2 |
| 行动 | xíngdòng | operation; action | HSK 2 |
| 行为 | xíngwéi | action; conduct; behavior; activity | HSK 2 |
| 银行 | yínháng | bank | HSK 2 |
| 旅行 | lǚxíng | to travel; journey; trip | HSK 2 |
| 举行 | jǔxíng | to hold (a meeting, ceremony etc) | HSK 2 |
| 流行 | liúxíng | (of a contagious disease etc) to spread; to propagate; (of a style of clothing, song etc) | HSK 2 |
| 自行车 | zìxíngchē | bicycle; bike | HSK 2 |
| 行人 | xíngrén | pedestrian; traveler on foot | HSK 2 |
| 银行卡 | yínhángkǎ | bank card | HSK 2 |
| 飞行 | fēixíng | to fly; flight | HSK 3 |
| 行李 | xíngli | luggage | HSK 3 |
| 实行 | shíxíng | to implement; to carry out | HSK 3 |
行 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 行
Learning 行 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 行
How many strokes are in 行?
行 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 行 mean?
行 (xíng) means (bound form) to walk; to go; to travel; (literary) trip; journey; visit; (bound form) temporary; makeshift. A common word with it is 不行 (bùxíng), meaning "won't do; be out of the question".
How do you pronounce 行?
行 is pronounced xíng, in the second tone (rising).
Is 行 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 行 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I know when 行 is xíng and when it is háng?
Use háng when the meaning is a row, a line, a profession, or a business, as in 银行 (yínháng) or 一行字 (yì háng zì), a line of text. Use xíng for walking, doing, traveling, or being capable, as in 行动 (xíngdòng).
What does 不行 mean in everyday conversation?
不行 (bùxíng) means "no way" or "that won't work". It can also describe someone or something as not good enough, as in 我英语不行 (Wǒ Yīngyǔ bùxíng), my English is not good.