The character 动 — “move”: how to write it and what it means
move
The Chinese character 动 is read dòng and means “move”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 动
动 has 6 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 动, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 动 is made of
On the right, 力 “strength”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 动
- 运动sport; exerciseHSK 2
- 动物animalHSK 3
- 动物园zooHSK 3
- 运动会sports meetHSK 3
- 运动员athleteHSK 3
- 感动move, touch; movedHSK 4
- 激动excited, agitatedHSK 4
- 动车high-speed train (D-train)HSK 4
- 活动event; moveHSK 4
- 动作movement, actionHSK 4
- 电动车e-scooter, electric carHSK 4
- 互动interaction; interactiveHSK 5
- 动画cartoon, animationHSK 5
- 行动act; actionHSK 5
- 动手get to work; come to blowsHSK 5
- 主动on one's own initiativeHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 动?
动 has 6 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 动 mean?
动 means “move”. It appears in 运动 (“sport”), 动物 (“animal”), 动物园 (“zoo”), 运动会 (“sports meet”).
How do you pronounce 动?
动 is read dòng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 动 have?
6 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 动 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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