The character 方 — “square”: how to write it and what it means
square; side
The Chinese character 方 is read fāng and means “square; side”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 方
方 has 4 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 方, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 方 is made of
It hints at the sound in 房 and 放. In 地方 it is read with the neutral tone: fang.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 方
- 方便convenientHSK 3
- 方向directionHSK 3
- 北方the north (of a country)HSK 3
- 南方the south (of a country)HSK 3
- 东方the EastHSK 3
- 西方the WestHSK 3
- 地方placeHSK 3
- 方法method, wayHSK 3
- 方便面instant noodlesHSK 3
- 前方ahead, in frontHSK 4
- 方面side, aspectHSK 4
- 方式way, mannerHSK 4
- 对方the other partyHSK 4
- 方案plan, proposed solutionHSK 5
- 双方both sidesHSK 5
- 远方distant lands, the distanceHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 方?
方 has 4 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 方 mean?
方 means “square; side”. It appears in 方便 (“convenient”), 方向 (“direction”), 北方 (“the north”), 南方 (“the south”).
How do you pronounce 方?
方 is read fāng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 方 have?
4 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 方 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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