龙 meaning and stroke order
Chinese dragon; loong; (fig.) emperor; dragon
How to write 龙, stroke by stroke
5 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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- 5
Meaning of 龙
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- Chinese dragon; loong
- (fig.) emperor
- dragon
- (bound form) dinosaur
How 龙 is built
Pictographic character. A dragon.
How to remember 龙
龙 (lóng) began as a picture of a dragon. In the simplified shape, picture the long sweeping stroke 丿 as the dragon's twisting body cutting through 尤, with the hook and dot like its tail and a claw.
龙 appears in cultural words like 龙舟 (lóngzhōu, dragon boat) and idioms like 画龙点睛 (huàlóng-diǎnjīng), and it is also used for sound in loanwords such as 尼龙 (nílóng, nylon) and 沙龙 (shālóng, salon). It even shows up in everyday objects: 水龙头 (shuǐlóngtóu) means a faucet. Example: 孩子们很喜欢恐龙。(Háizimen hěn xǐhuan kǒnglóng.) The kids really like dinosaurs.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 龙 with 尤 (yóu), since 龙 looks like 尤 with an extra sweeping stroke 丿 through it. Also keep the second tone: lóng rises, unlike 拢 (lǒng, to gather) or 弄 (nòng, to do).
Common words with 龙
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 恐龙 | kǒnglóng | dinosaur (CL:頭|头[tou2],隻|只[zhi1]); (old) (slang) ugly person | HSK 7-9 |
| 沙龙 | shālóng | salon (loanword) | HSK 7-9 |
| 水龙头 | shuǐlóngtóu | faucet; tap | HSK 7-9 |
| 来龙去脉 | láilóng-qùmài | (lit.) the rise and fall of the terrain (idiom); (fig.) the whole sequence of events; caus | HSK 7-9 |
| 尼龙 | nílóng | (loanword) nylon | HSK 7-9 |
| 龙舟 | lóngzhōu | dragon boat; imperial boat | HSK 7-9 |
| 跑龙套 | pǎo lóngtào | to play a small role | HSK 7-9 |
| 画龙点睛 | huàlóng-diǎnjīng | to paint a dragon and dot in the eyes (idiom); fig. to add the vital finishing touch; the | HSK 7-9 |
| 龙虾 | lóngxiā | lobster | |
| 龙卷风 | lóngjuǎnfēng | tornado; hurricane | |
| 龙舌兰 | lóngshélán | agave (genus of plants); (esp.) Agave americana; agave-based spirit; (esp.) tequila (disti | |
| 飞龙 | fēilóng | dragon in flight; (fig.) (literary) person at the height of success | |
| 成龙 | ChéngLóng | to succeed in life; to become somebody | |
| 龙头 | lóngtóu | faucet; tap; bicycle handlebar |
龙 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 龙
Learning 龙 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 龙
How many strokes are in 龙?
龙 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 龙 mean?
龙 (lóng) means Chinese dragon; loong; (fig.) emperor; dragon. A common word with it is 恐龙 (kǒnglóng), meaning "dinosaur (CL:頭|头[tou2],隻|只[zhi1]); (old) (slang) ugly person".
How do you pronounce 龙?
龙 is pronounced lóng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the traditional form of 龙?
The traditional form of 龙 is 龍. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 龙 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 龙 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 龙 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Is the Chinese dragon the same as a Western dragon?
Not really. The Chinese 龙 is traditionally a positive symbol linked to power, luck and the emperor, which is why some people translate it as "loong" to avoid the evil image of Western dragons.
What does 跑龙套 mean?
跑龙套 (pǎo lóngtào) originally described actors playing minor background roles in opera. Today it means to play a small, unimportant part in something, for example 我只是跑龙套的 (wǒ zhǐshì pǎo lóngtào de), I am just a minor helper.