The character 形 — “shape”: how to write it and what it means
shape, form
The Chinese character 形 is read xíng and means “shape, form”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 形
形 has 7 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 形, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 形 is made of
On the right, 彡 “pattern, outline”, as in 彩. On the left, 开.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 形
- 外形external shapeHSK 5
- 形容describe in wordsHSK 5
- 形成form, take shapeHSK 5
- 形状shapeHSK 5
- 形势situationHSK 5
- 形象image; vividHSK 5
- 形式formHSK 5
- 地形terrain, topographyHSK 6
- 形态form, shape (state)HSK 6
- 情形circumstances, how things wereHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 形?
形 has 7 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 形 mean?
形 means “shape, form”. It appears in 外形 (“external shape”), 形容 (“describe in words”), 形成 (“form”), 形状 (“shape”).
How do you pronounce 形?
形 is read xíng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 形 have?
7 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 形 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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