誦 meaning and stroke order
To chant, to recite, to repeat, to read aloud
How to write 誦, stroke by stroke
14 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 誦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to read aloud
- to recite
How 誦 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
言 gives the meaning and 甬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.
How to remember 誦
誦 combines 言 (speech) on the left with 甬 (yǒng) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture words 言 flowing out steadily as you read aloud or recite.
誦 (sòng) is mostly used in compound words rather than alone, especially 朗誦 (lǎngsòng, to recite with expression) and 背誦 (bèisòng, to recite from memory). Example: 老師讓我們背誦這首詩。(Lǎoshī ràng wǒmen bèisòng zhè shǒu shī.) The teacher had us recite this poem from memory.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 誦 with 通 (tōng, to go through), which shares the 甬 part but uses the walking radical 辶 instead of 言. Also, 誦 has the fourth tone sòng, not the second tone of 頌 (sòng is also fourth, but 頌 means to praise), so check the meaning as well as the shape.
Common words with 誦
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 誦
How many strokes are in 誦?
誦 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 誦 mean?
誦 (sòng) means to chant, to recite, to repeat, to read aloud. A common word with it is 朗诵 (lǎngsòng), meaning "to read aloud with expression; to recite".
How do you pronounce 誦?
誦 is pronounced sòng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 誦?
The radical of 誦 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 誦 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 誦?
誦 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 诵, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 朗誦 and 背誦?
朗誦 (lǎngsòng) means to read or recite aloud with feeling, often on stage, and you may read from a text. 背誦 (bèisòng) means to recite from memory, like a student reciting a memorized poem.
How is 誦 written in simplified Chinese?
In simplified Chinese it is written 诵, with the simplified speech radical 讠 on the left. The right side 甬 stays the same, so 朗誦 becomes 朗诵.