跨 meaning and stroke order
To step across; to stride over; to straddle
How to write 跨, 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 跨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to step across
- to stride over
- to straddle
- to span
How 跨 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 夸 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 跨
跨 combines the foot radical 足 (on the left as ⻊) with 夸 (kuā), which gives the sound. Picture your foot taking a big, exaggerated stride across something, and you have 跨 (kuà), to step over.
跨 describes stepping or stretching across a gap, border, or boundary, both literally and figuratively. It appears often in words like 跨越 (kuàyuè) and 跨国 (kuàguó). Example: 这座桥横跨长江。(Zhè zuò qiáo héngkuà Chángjiāng.) This bridge spans the Yangtze River.
Common mistake: Learners often read 跨 with the first tone like its sound part 夸 (kuā), but 跨 is fourth tone, kuà. Also do not confuse it with 垮 (kuǎ, to collapse), which has the earth radical 土 instead of the foot.
Common words with 跨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
跨 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 跨
How many strokes are in 跨?
跨 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 跨 mean?
跨 (kuà) means to step across; to stride over; to straddle. A common word with it is 跨越 (kuàyuè), meaning "to step across; step over".
How do you pronounce 跨?
跨 is pronounced kuà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 跨?
The radical of 跨 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 跨 under this radical.
Is 跨 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 跨 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 跨 and 过 when talking about crossing?
过 (guò) is a general word for passing or going through. 跨 stresses a stride or span over something, like a step over a threshold or a bridge over a river. They combine in 跨过 (kuàguò), to step across.
Can 跨 be used for things other than physical crossing?
Yes. It often means crossing abstract boundaries, such as 跨年 (kuànián, to see in the new year), 跨学科 (kuà xuékē, interdisciplinary), and 跨国公司 (kuàguó gōngsī, multinational corporation).