郭 meaning and stroke order
City limits; surname
How to write 郭, 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 郭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- outer city wall
How 郭 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A tall building 享 at the edge of a city 阝.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 郭
Picture a tall building 享 standing at the edge of a city 阝 on the right. That building marks the outer wall, the city limits, which is what 郭 (guō) means.
Today 郭 is used mostly as a common surname, and you also see it in the set phrase 城郭 (chéngguō), meaning city walls. Example: 我的老师姓郭。(Wǒ de lǎoshī xìng Guō.) My teacher's surname is Guo.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 郭 (guō) with 锅 (guō, pot) because they sound the same. 锅 has the metal radical 钅 on the left, while 郭 has 阝 on the right. Also, do not write the left part as 亨 or 享 with the wrong bottom. It is 享, with 子 at the bottom.
郭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 郭
Learning 郭 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 郭
How many strokes are in 郭?
郭 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 郭 mean?
郭 (guō) means city limits; surname.
How do you pronounce 郭?
郭 is pronounced guō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 郭?
The radical of 郭 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 郭 under this radical.
Is 郭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 郭 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 郭 a common Chinese surname?
Yes. 郭 is one of the more common surnames in China. Well-known people include the writer 郭沫若 (Guō Mòruò) and the singer 郭富城 (Guō Fùchéng).
What is the difference between 城 and 郭?
In old Chinese, 城 (chéng) was the inner city wall and 郭 (guō) was the outer wall around it. Together, 城郭 refers to a walled city or its walls in general.