钟 meaning and stroke order
A (large) bell (CL:架[jia4]); clock (CL:座[zuo4]); amount of time; o'clock (CL:點|点[dian3],分[fen1],秒[miao3]) (as in 三點鐘|三点钟[san1 dian3 zhong1] "three o'clock" or "three hours" or 五分鐘|五分钟[wu3 fen1 zhong1] "five minutes" etc)
How to write 钟, 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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- 9
Meaning of 钟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- a (large) bell (CL:架[jia4])
- clock (CL:座[zuo4])
- amount of time; o'clock (CL:點|点[dian3],分[fen1],秒[miao3]) (as in 三點鐘|三点钟[san1 dian3 zhong1] "three o'clock" or "three hours" or 五分鐘|五分钟[wu3 fen1 zhong1] "five minutes" etc)
- handleless cup; goblet
- (bound form) to concentrate (one's affection etc)
- variant of 鐘|钟[zhong1]
How 钟 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 中 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 钟
A bell is made of metal 钅, and 中 (zhōng) gives the sound, so 钟 is the metal thing that sounds "zhōng". Picture a big bronze bell hanging in the middle 中 of a temple.
钟 means a clock or bell, but it is most often used after time words to mark minutes or hours, as in 分钟 (fēnzhōng) and 点钟 (diǎnzhōng). 我等了你十分钟。(Wǒ děng le nǐ shí fēnzhōng.) I waited for you for ten minutes.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 钟 with 种 (zhǒng, kind, or zhòng, to plant), which has the grain radical 禾 instead of metal 钅. Also keep the first tone: 钟 is zhōng, not zhǒng.
Common words with 钟
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute | HSK 2 |
| 闹钟 | nàozhōng | alarm clock | HSK 4 |
| 钟头 | zhōngtóu | (coll.) hour | HSK 6 |
| 警钟 | jǐngzhōng | alarm bell | HSK 7-9 |
| 点钟 | diǎnzhōng | (indicating time of day) o'clock | |
| 秒钟 | miǎozhōng | (time) second | |
| 钟声 | zhōngshēng | the sound of a bell | |
| 时钟 | shízhōng | clock | |
| 一见钟情 | yījiànzhōngqíng | to fall in love at first sight (idiom) | |
| 钟爱 | zhōng'ài | to treasure; to be very fond of | |
| 钟表 | zhōngbiǎo | clock | |
| 金钟 | jīnzhōng | Admiralty, Hong Kong | |
| 钟楼 | Zhōnglóu | bell tower; campanile | |
| 一刻钟 | yīkèzhōng | a quarter of an hour |
钟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 钟
How many strokes are in 钟?
钟 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 钟 mean?
钟 (zhōng) means a (large) bell (CL:架[jia4]); clock (CL:座[zuo4]); amount of time; o'clock (CL:點|点[dian3],分[fen1],秒[miao3]) (as in 三點鐘|三点钟[san1 dian3 zhong1] "three o'clock" or "three hours" or 五分鐘|五分钟[wu3 fen1 zhong1] "five minutes" etc). A common word with it is 分钟 (fēnzhōng), meaning "minute".
How do you pronounce 钟?
钟 is pronounced zhōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 钟?
The radical of 钟 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 钟 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 钟?
The traditional form of 钟 is 鍾 and 鐘. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 钟 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 钟 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 钟 is part of the HSK 2 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 钟 and 表?
钟 is a clock that sits on a wall or table, or a large bell. 表 (biǎo) usually means a watch you wear, as in 手表 (shǒubiǎo).
Is 三点 the same as 三点钟?
Yes, both mean three o'clock, and 三点 is more common in casual speech. Adding 钟 makes it a little more complete or formal. For durations, use 三个钟头 (sān ge zhōngtóu) or 三个小时 for three hours.