The character 功 — “merit”: how to write it and what it means
merit; work, effort
The Chinese character 功 is read gōng and means “merit; work, effort”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 功
功 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 功, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 功 is made of
On the left, 工 gōng “work” hints at the sound; on the right, 力 “strength”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 功
- 功课lessons, homeworkHSK 4
- 成功success; succeedHSK 4
- 功夫kung fu; time and effortHSK 4
- 功能functionHSK 5
- 功效effect, efficacy (of a remedy)HSK 6
- 用功study hard; diligentHSK 6
- 下功夫put in effort, work hardHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 功?
功 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 功 mean?
功 means “merit; work, effort”. It appears in 功课 (“lessons”), 成功 (“success”), 功夫 (“kung fu”), 功能 (“function”).
How do you pronounce 功?
功 is read gōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 功 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 功 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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