The character 久 — “long”: how to write it and what it means
long (time)
The Chinese character 久 is read jiǔ and means “long (time)”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 久
久 has 3 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 久, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 久 is made of
It sounds the same as 九 “nine” and 酒 “alcohol”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 久
- 好久a long timeHSK 3
- 不久soon; not longHSK 3
- 长久long-lastingHSK 5
- 悠久long-standing, age-oldHSK 5
- 久远long ago, ancientHSK 5
- 持久lasting, enduringHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 久?
久 has 3 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 久 mean?
久 means “long (time)”. It appears in 好久 (“a long time”), 不久 (“soon”), 长久 (“long-lasting”), 悠久 (“long-standing”).
How do you pronounce 久?
久 is read jiǔ. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 久 have?
3 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 久 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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