The character 脑 — “brain”: how to write it and what it means

脑
nǎo

brain

10 strokes · HSK 1

The Chinese character 脑 is read nǎo and means “brain”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 脑

脑 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 脑, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 脑 is made of

On the left, 月: here it means “flesh, body”.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 脑

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 脑?

脑 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 脑 mean?

脑 means “brain”. It appears in 电脑 (“computer”), 大脑 (“brain”), 脑袋 (“head”), 脑子 (“brain”).

How do you pronounce 脑?

脑 is read nǎo. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 脑 have?

10 strokes.

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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 脑 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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