The character 城 — “city”: how to write it and what it means
city; city wall
The Chinese character 城 is read chéng and means “city; city wall”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 城
城 has 9 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 城, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 城 is made of
On the left, 土 “earth”; on the right, 成 chéng hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 城
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 城?
城 has 9 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 城 mean?
城 means “city; city wall”. It appears in 城市 (“city”), 城区 (“urban district”), 城镇 (“cities and towns”).
How do you pronounce 城?
城 is read chéng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 城 have?
9 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 城 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.
Start for free