The character 兄 — “elder brother”: how to write it and what it means
elder brother
The Chinese character 兄 is read xiōng and means “elder brother”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 兄
兄 has 5 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 兄, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 兄
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 兄?
兄 has 5 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 兄 mean?
兄 means “elder brother”. It appears in 兄弟 (“brothers”).
How do you pronounce 兄?
兄 is read xiōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 兄 have?
5 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 兄 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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