震 meaning and stroke order
To shake; to vibrate; to jolt
How to write 震, stroke by stroke
15 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 震
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to shake
- to vibrate
- to jolt
- to quake
- excited
- shocked
How 震 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Rain.
雨 gives the meaning and 辰 hints at the sound.
Radical: 雨 (rain), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 震
震 is pictophonetic: 雨 (yǔ, rain) on top gives the meaning and 辰 (chén) below gives the sound. Picture a violent storm, with rain and thunder so strong the ground shakes.
震 rarely appears alone in speech. It mostly shows up in words like 地震 (dìzhèn, earthquake), 震惊 (zhènjīng, to shock) and 震动 (zhèndòng, to vibrate). Example: 这个消息让大家很震惊。(Zhège xiāoxi ràng dàjiā hěn zhènjīng.) This news shocked everyone.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 震 (zhèn) with 振 (zhèn, to rouse, as in 振动 vibration in physics or 振作 to cheer up), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of 雨. Use 震 for earthquakes and shock, and 振 for lifting spirits or oscillation.
Common words with 震
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
震 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 震
How many strokes are in 震?
震 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 震 mean?
震 (zhèn) means to shake; to vibrate; to jolt. A common word with it is 震惊 (zhènjīng), meaning "to shock; to astonish".
How do you pronounce 震?
震 is pronounced zhèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 震?
The radical of 震 is 雨, which carries the idea of "rain". Dictionaries list 震 under this radical.
Is 震 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 震 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 震惊 and 吃惊?
Both mean to be surprised, but 震惊 (zhènjīng) is much stronger and more formal, closer to shocked or stunned. 吃惊 (chījīng) is everyday surprise, like being startled by unexpected news.
How do you say the phone is vibrating in Chinese?
You can say 手机在震 (shǒujī zài zhèn) in casual speech, or 手机在震动 (shǒujī zài zhèndòng). The silent vibrate setting is often called 震动模式 (zhèndòng móshì).