贺 meaning and stroke order
To congratulate; to send a present
How to write 贺, stroke by stroke
9 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 贺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to congratulate
How 贺 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To add 加 to someone else's fortune 贝.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 贺
贺 (hè) puts 加 (jiā, to add) on top of 贝 (bèi, shell, an old symbol of money and wealth). When you congratulate someone, you add to their fortune, often with a gift.
贺 rarely stands alone in everyday speech. It usually appears in words like 祝贺 (zhùhè, to congratulate) and 贺卡 (hèkǎ, greeting card). Example: 祝贺你考上大学。(Zhùhè nǐ kǎo shàng dàxué.) Congratulations on getting into university.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 贺 (hè) with 货 (huò, goods), since both have 贝 at the bottom. Check the top part: 贺 has 加 (jiā), while 货 has 化 (huà).
Common words with 贺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
贺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 贺
How many strokes are in 贺?
贺 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 贺 mean?
贺 (hè) means to congratulate; to send a present. A common word with it is 祝贺 (zhùhè), meaning "to congratulate; congratulations".
How do you pronounce 贺?
贺 is pronounced hè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 贺?
The radical of 贺 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 贺 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 贺?
The traditional form of 贺 is 賀. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 贺 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 贺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 贺 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 祝贺 and 庆贺?
祝贺 (zhùhè) is the everyday way to congratulate a person, as in 祝贺你 (zhùhè nǐ). 庆贺 (qìnghè) leans more toward celebrating an event, often with a group or a party.
Is 贺 used in Chinese New Year greetings?
Yes. You will see 贺 in phrases like 贺新年 (hè xīnnián, to celebrate the New Year) and 贺岁 (hèsuì, to celebrate the New Year). People also send 贺卡 (hèkǎ) at this time.