靠 meaning and stroke order
To lean against or on; to stand by the side of; to come near to
How to write 靠, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
Meaning of 靠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lean against or on
- to stand by the side of
- to come near to
- to depend on
- to trust
- to fuck (vulgar)
How 靠 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. People back-to-back.
非 gives the meaning and 告 hints at the sound.
Radical: 非 (not), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 靠
The bottom part 非 (fēi) shows people back-to-back, and when two people stand back-to-back they lean on each other. The top part 告 (gào) gives the sound, so think of someone announcing 告 "I can lean on you."
靠 is used for physically leaning on or getting close to something, and also for depending on someone or something. It appears in very common words like 可靠 (kěkào, reliable) and 靠近 (kàojìn, to approach). Example: 我们只能靠自己。(Wǒmen zhǐ néng kào zìjǐ.) We can only rely on ourselves.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the top as 吉 or 舌 instead of 告, or forget that 非 sits underneath it. Also watch the tone: it is fourth tone kào, not third tone kǎo like 考 (exam).
Common words with 靠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 可靠 | kěkào | reliable | HSK 3 |
| 依靠 | yīkào | to rely on; to depend on | HSK 4 |
| 靠近 | kàojìn | to be close to; to approach; to draw near | HSK 5 |
| 靠拢 | kàolǒng | to draw close to | HSK 7-9 |
| 靠边 | kàobiān | to keep to the side; to pull over | |
| 靠不住 | kàobuzhù | unreliable | |
| 投靠 | tóukào | to rely on help from sb | |
| 靠岸 | kào'àn | (of a boat) to reach the shore; to pull toward shore | |
| 靠得住 | kàodezhù | reliable; trustworthy | |
| 停靠 | tíngkào | to call at; to stop at | |
| 靠山 | kàoshān | patron; backer; close to a mountain | |
| 无依无靠 | wúyīwúkào | (idiom) having nothing to rely on; on one's own | |
| 靠窗 | kàochuāng | by the window (referring to seats on a plane etc) |
靠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 靠
How many strokes are in 靠?
靠 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 靠 mean?
靠 (kào) means to lean against or on; to stand by the side of; to come near to. A common word with it is 可靠 (kěkào), meaning "reliable".
How do you pronounce 靠?
靠 is pronounced kào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 靠?
The radical of 靠 is 非, which carries the idea of "not". Dictionaries list 靠 under this radical.
Is 靠 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 靠 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 2.
What does 靠谱 (kàopǔ) mean?
靠谱 is a common informal word meaning reliable, sensible, or trustworthy. 不靠谱 (bù kàopǔ) describes a person or plan you cannot count on. It is very frequent in everyday speech.
Is 靠 a swear word?
In slang, 靠 can be used as a vulgar exclamation, similar to a mild curse in English. In normal words like 依靠 or 靠近 it is completely neutral, so context tells you which meaning is meant.