The character 候 — “time”: how to write it and what it means
time, season; wait
The Chinese character 候 is read hòu and means “time, season; wait”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 候
候 has 10 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 候, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 候 is made of
In 时候 it is read with the neutral tone.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 候
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 候?
候 has 10 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 候 mean?
候 means “time, season; wait”. It appears in 时候 (“moment”), 小时候 (“in childhood”), 气候 (“climate”), 等候 (“wait”).
How do you pronounce 候?
候 is read hòu. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 候 have?
10 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 候 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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