衝 meaning and stroke order
Wash, rinse, flush; dash; soar
How to write 衝, stroke by stroke
15 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 衝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- thoroughfare
- to go straight ahead
- to rush
- to clash
- powerful
- vigorous
- pungent
- towards
- in view of
How 衝 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Go.
行 gives the meaning and 重 hints at the sound.
Radical: 行 (to go), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 衝
衝 puts 重 (zhòng, heavy) inside 行 (xíng, to go), the street. Picture something heavy charging straight down the road, and you have "to rush" or "to dash."
衝 is the traditional form. In simplified Chinese it merges into 冲, which is also the original character for "rinse" or "flush." Read as chōng it means to rush or clash. Read as chòng it means "toward" or "strong." Example: 他衝進了房間。(Tā chōng jìn le fángjiān.) He rushed into the room.
Common mistake: Learners often write 衝 in contexts like 衝咖啡 (to make coffee), but rinsing and pouring water belong to 冲 even in traditional text. Also keep the tones apart: 衝突 (chōngtū, conflict) has tone one, while 衝著 (chòngzhe, toward) has tone four.
Common words with 衝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 衝動 | chōngdòng | to have an urge; to be impetuous | HSK 5 |
| 衝突 | chōngtū | conflict; to conflict | HSK 5 |
| 衝擊 | chōngjī | to attack; to batter | HSK 6 |
| 衝浪 | chōnglàng | to surf; surfing | HSK 7-9 |
| 衝刺 | chōngcì | (sports) to sprint; to spurt; to dash; to put in a big effort to achieve a goal as the dea | HSK 7-9 |
| 衝撞 | chōngzhuàng | to collide; jerking motion | HSK 7-9 |
| 衝嚮 | chōngxiàng | to charge into | |
| 脈衝 | màichōng | pulse (physics) | |
| 衝破 | chōngpò | breakthrough; to overcome an obstacle quickly | |
| 衝鋒 | chōngfēng | to charge (at the enemy); to storm (an enemy position) | |
| 衝出 | chōngchū | to rush out | |
| 俯衝 | fǔchōng | to dive down fast; to swoop down | |
| 衝鋒槍 | chōngfēngqiāng | submachine gun | |
| 衝進 | chōngjìn | to rush in; to charge in |
Questions about 衝
How many strokes are in 衝?
衝 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 衝 mean?
衝 (chōng) means wash, rinse, flush; dash; soar. A common word with it is 冲动 (chōngdòng), meaning "to have an urge; to be impetuous".
How do you pronounce 衝?
衝 is pronounced chōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 衝?
The radical of 衝 is 行, which carries the idea of "to go". Dictionaries list 衝 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 衝?
衝 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 冲, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 衝 and 冲?
In simplified Chinese both are written 冲. In traditional Chinese, 衝 covers rushing, clashing, and "toward," while 冲 is kept for water meanings like rinse and flush.
How do you use 衝 (chòng) to mean "toward"?
It usually appears as 衝著 (chòngzhe), meaning "facing" or "aimed at." For example, 他衝著我笑 (tā chòngzhe wǒ xiào) means "he smiled at me." It can also mean "because of," as in 衝著你的面子 (out of respect for you).