The character 钟 — “clock”: how to write it and what it means
clock, bell
The Chinese character 钟 is read zhōng and means “clock, bell”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 钟
钟 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 钟, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 钟 is made of
On the left, 钅 “metal”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 钟
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 钟?
钟 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 钟 mean?
钟 means “clock, bell”. It appears in 分钟 (“minute”), 闹钟 (“alarm clock”), 钟头 (“hour”).
How do you pronounce 钟?
钟 is read zhōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 钟 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 钟 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