誇 meaning and stroke order
Extravagant, luxurious; handsome
How to write 誇, stroke by stroke
13 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 誇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to boast; to exaggerate
- to praise
How 誇 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Extravagant 夸 words 言; 夸 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.
How to remember 誇
誇 combines 言 (speech) with 夸 (extravagant), so it means extravagant words: talking something up, whether boasting or praising. 夸 also gives the sound kuā.
誇 is the traditional form. In mainland simplified Chinese the whole word is written 夸, as in 夸张 (kuāzhāng, to exaggerate) and 夸奖 (kuājiǎng, to praise). Example: 老师夸他很聪明。(Lǎoshī kuā tā hěn cōngming.) The teacher praised him for being smart.
Common mistake: Learners often assume 夸 always means boasting, but 夸 + a person usually means to praise them, as in 妈妈夸我 (my mom praised me). Also, do not confuse 夸 (kuā) with 跨 (kuà, to step across). They share the same sound part but have a different tone and meaning.
Common words with 誇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 誇張 | kuāzhāng | to exaggerate; overstated; exaggerated | HSK 7-9 |
| 誇獎 | kuājiǎng | to praise; to applaud | HSK 7-9 |
| 誇大 | kuādà | to exaggerate | HSK 7-9 |
| 誇誇其談 | kuākuā-qítán | (idiom) to talk big; to sound off; to be full of hot air | HSK 7-9 |
| 誇耀 | kuāyào | to brag about; to flaunt | HSK 7-9 |
| 自誇 | zìkuā | to boast | |
| 誇大其詞 | kuādàqící | to exaggerate |
Questions about 誇
How many strokes are in 誇?
誇 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 誇 mean?
誇 (kuā) means extravagant, luxurious; handsome. A common word with it is 夸张 (kuāzhāng), meaning "to exaggerate; overstated; exaggerated".
How do you pronounce 誇?
誇 is pronounced kuā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 誇?
The radical of 誇 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 誇 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 誇?
誇 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 夸, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Should I write 誇 or 夸?
Use 夸 in simplified Chinese, which is the mainland standard, because simplification merged 誇 into 夸. Use 誇 in traditional texts, such as those from Taiwan and Hong Kong, for the senses of boasting, exaggerating and praising.
How do I tell whether 夸 means praise or boast?
Look at who is being talked up. Talking up someone else, as in 夸孩子 (praise the child), is praise. Talking up yourself or overstating, as in 自夸 (zìkuā) or 夸大 (kuādà), is boasting or exaggeration.