鶴 meaning and stroke order
Crane; Grus species (various)
How to write 鶴, stroke by stroke
21 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 鶴
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- crane
How 鶴 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bird.
鳥 gives the meaning and 隺 hints at the sound.
Radical: 鳥 (bird), shared by 78 characters on this site.
How to remember 鶴
鶴 is a bird 鳥 (niǎo) on the right, with 隺 on the left giving the sound. Picture a tall bird standing beside its sound part, which hints at hè.
鶴 means crane and appears in poetry, art, and idioms, where the crane often stands for long life and elegance. A common idiom is 鶴立雞群 (hè lì jī qún), a crane standing among chickens, used for someone who clearly stands out. Example: 他在班上真是鶴立雞群。(Tā zài bān shang zhēn shì hè lì jī qún.) He really stands out in his class.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 鶴 (hè, crane) with 鴿 (gē, pigeon) or 鵝 (é, goose), since all share 鳥. Check the left part: 鶴 has 隺, with 隹 under a cover-like top.
Common words with 鶴
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 鶴
How many strokes are in 鶴?
鶴 is written with 21 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鶴 mean?
鶴 (hè) means crane; Grus species (various). A common word with it is 仙鹤 (xiānhè), meaning "red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis)".
How do you pronounce 鶴?
鶴 is pronounced hè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 鶴?
The radical of 鶴 is 鳥, which carries the idea of "bird". Dictionaries list 鶴 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鶴?
鶴 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 鹤, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How is 鶴 written in simplified Chinese?
In mainland China it is written 鹤, with the simplified bird part 鸟. The common words above, like 仙鹤 (xiānhè), use this simplified form.
Why are cranes linked with long life in Chinese culture?
The crane is a traditional symbol of longevity and immortals, which is why the red-crowned crane is called 仙鹤 (xiānhè), literally immortal crane. You often see cranes on birthday gifts and paintings for elders.