魂 meaning and stroke order
Soul; spirit; immortal soul (that can be detached from the body)
How to write 魂, stroke by stroke
13 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 魂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- soul; spirit; immortal soul (that can be detached from the body)
- old variant of 魂[hun2]
How 魂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Spirit.
鬼 gives the meaning and 云 hints at the sound.
Radical: 鬼 (ghost), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 魂
魂 is pictophonetic: 鬼 (guǐ, ghost) on the right gives the meaning of spirit, and 云 (yún, cloud) on the left hints at the sound. Picture a ghost drifting away like a cloud, which is the soul leaving the body.
魂 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It usually appears in words like 灵魂 (línghún, soul) and 鬼魂 (guǐhún, ghost), or in idioms such as 神魂颠倒. Example: 音乐是他的灵魂。(Yīnyuè shì tā de línghún.) Music is his soul.
Common mistake: Learners often put 鬼 on the left because it is the radical, but in 魂 the 云 goes on the left and 鬼 on the right. Also keep the second tone hún, and do not confuse it with 混 (hùn, to mix), which sounds similar.
Common words with 魂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 灵魂 | línghún | soul; spirit | HSK 7-9 |
| 鬼魂 | guǐhún | ghost | |
| 神魂颠倒 | shénhúndiāndǎo | lit. spirit and soul upside down (idiom); infatuated and head over heels in love; fascinat | |
| 销魂 | xiāohún | ecstasy; rapture | |
| 魂魄 | húnpò | soul | |
| 惊魂 | jīnghún | in a panicked state; frightened | |
| 迷魂 | míhún | to bewitch; to enchant | |
| 阴魂不散 | yīnhúnbùsàn | lit. the soul of a deceased has not yet dispersed (idiom); fig. the influence still linger | |
| 亡魂 | wánghún | soul of the deceased; departed spirit |
魂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 魂
How many strokes are in 魂?
魂 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 魂 mean?
魂 (hún) means soul; spirit; immortal soul (that can be detached from the body). A common word with it is 灵魂 (línghún), meaning "soul; spirit".
How do you pronounce 魂?
魂 is pronounced hún, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 魂?
The radical of 魂 is 鬼, which carries the idea of "ghost". Dictionaries list 魂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 魂?
The traditional form of 魂 is 䰟. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 魂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 魂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 魂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 魂 and 魄?
Both mean soul and often appear together as 魂魄 (húnpò). Traditionally 魂 is the part of the spirit that can leave the body, while 魄 stays tied to the body. In everyday modern Chinese, 灵魂 is the common word for soul.
What does 销魂 mean, and is it positive?
销魂 (xiāohún) describes ecstasy or rapture, a feeling so intense the soul seems to melt away. It is literary and can sound romantic or sensual, so use it with care in casual speech.