衷 meaning and stroke order
Sincere, heartfelt
How to write 衷, stroke by stroke
10 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 衷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- inner feelings
How 衷 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person in a robe 衣 with his heart 中 marked; 中 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 衣 (cloth), shared by 33 characters on this site.
How to remember 衷
Picture a robe 衣 (yī) with 中 (zhōng) placed right in the middle of it, marking the heart inside the clothing. What sits in the center under your robe is your inner feeling, and 中 also gives the sound zhōng.
衷 rarely stands alone. It appears in set words about inner feelings, such as 衷心 (zhōngxīn, heartfelt), 由衷 (yóuzhōng, sincere) and 初衷 (chūzhōng, original intention). Example: 我衷心感谢你的帮助。(Wǒ zhōngxīn gǎnxiè nǐ de bāngzhù.) I sincerely thank you for your help.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 衷 with 哀 (āi, sorrow) and 衰 (shuāi, decline), which are also built inside 衣. Check the middle: 衷 has 中, 哀 has 口, and 衰 has a different inner shape.
Common words with 衷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
衷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 衷
How many strokes are in 衷?
衷 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 衷 mean?
衷 (zhōng) means sincere, heartfelt. A common word with it is 衷心 (zhōngxīn), meaning "heartfelt; wholehearted".
How do you pronounce 衷?
衷 is pronounced zhōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 衷?
The radical of 衷 is 衣, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 衷 under this radical.
Is 衷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 衷 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 无动于衷 mean and how is it used?
无动于衷 (wúdòngyúzhōng) means to be completely unmoved or indifferent, literally nothing stirs the inner feelings. It usually criticizes someone, as in 他对别人的痛苦无动于衷。(Tā duì biérén de tòngkǔ wúdòngyúzhōng.) He is indifferent to other people's pain.
Is 热衷 positive or negative?
热衷 (rèzhōng) means to be keen on or eager about something, and it can go either way. 热衷于运动 (rèzhōng yú yùndòng) is neutral, but 热衷于名利 (rèzhōng yú mínglì, eager for fame and gain) sounds critical.