闹 meaning and stroke order
Noisy; cacophonous; to make noise
How to write 闹, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 闹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- noisy
- cacophonous
- to make noise
- to disturb
- to vent (feelings)
- to fall ill
How 闹 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. As busy as the market 市 gate 门.
Radical: 门 (gate), shared by 47 characters on this site.
How to remember 闹
Picture a gate 门 (mén) opening onto a busy market 市 (shì). The crowds, bargaining, and shouting make it noisy and lively, which is 闹 (nào).
闹 describes noise and commotion, and it also works as a verb for making trouble or for something bad happening, like 闹肚子 (nào dùzi, to have an upset stomach). It appears in many everyday words such as 热闹 (rènao) and 闹钟 (nàozhōng). Example: 外面太闹了，我睡不着。(Wàimiàn tài nào le, wǒ shuì bù zháo.) It is too noisy outside, I can't sleep.
Common mistake: Learners often write 闹 with 巾 or 币 inside the gate instead of 市, or confuse it with 闲 (xián, idle), which has 木 inside. Also note that in 热闹 (rènao) the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone, not a full fourth tone.
Common words with 闹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 热闹 | rènao | lively; bustling; full of activity; to make things lively; to have a good time | HSK 4 |
| 闹钟 | nàozhōng | alarm clock | HSK 4 |
| 胡闹 | húnào | to act willfully and make a scene; to make trouble | HSK 7-9 |
| 闹事 | nàoshì | to cause trouble; to create a disturbance | HSK 7-9 |
| 喧闹 | xuānnào | to make a noise; noisy | HSK 7-9 |
| 看热闹 | kàn rènao | to enjoy watching a bustling scene; to go where the crowds are | HSK 7-9 |
| 闹着玩儿 | nàozhewánr | to play games; to joke around | HSK 7-9 |
| 闹鬼 | nàoguǐ | haunted | |
| 闹剧 | nàojù | farce | |
| 吵闹 | chǎonào | noisy; raucous | |
| 无理取闹 | wúlǐqǔnào | (idiom) to make trouble without reason; to be deliberately provocative | |
| 哭闹 | kūnào | to bawl, disturbing others | |
| 大吵大闹 | dàchǎodànào | to shout and scream (idiom); to kick up a fuss; to make a scene | |
| 闹大 | nàodà | (of a person) to make a big fuss about (sth); to make a big deal of; (of an adverse situat |
闹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 闹
How many strokes are in 闹?
闹 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 闹 mean?
闹 (nào) means noisy; cacophonous; to make noise. A common word with it is 热闹 (rènao), meaning "lively; bustling; full of activity; to make things lively; to have a good time".
How do you pronounce 闹?
闹 is pronounced nào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 闹?
The radical of 闹 is 门, which carries the idea of "gate". Dictionaries list 闹 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 闹?
The traditional form of 闹 is 閙 and 鬧. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 闹 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 闹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 闹 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Is 热闹 a positive or negative word?
热闹 is usually positive. It describes a lively, bustling place or a fun atmosphere, like a festival or a busy street. On its own, 闹 tends to be negative, meaning noisy or troublesome.
What does 闹 mean in phrases like 闹别扭 or 闹矛盾?
Here 闹 means to have or to stir up a conflict. 闹别扭 (nào bièniu) means to be at odds or sulk with someone, and 闹矛盾 (nào máodùn) means to have a falling out. This connects to the sense of quarreling and disputing.