The character 应 — “should”: how to write it and what it means
should, ought to
The Chinese character 应 is read yīng and means “should, ought to”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 应
应 has 7 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 应, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 应 is made of
On top, 广 “shelter”. Its second reading is yìng, “respond”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 应
- 应该shouldHSK 3
- 答应agree, promiseHSK 4
- 应聘apply for a jobHSK 4
- 适应adapt, get used toHSK 4
- 反应reaction; reactHSK 5
- 应用apply; appHSK 5
- 应当should (lit.)HSK 5
- 应对cope withHSK 5
- 对应correspond; correspondingHSK 6
- 供应supply, provideHSK 6
- 效应effect (phenomenon)HSK 6
- 相应corresponding; correspondHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 应?
应 has 7 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 应 mean?
应 means “should, ought to”. It appears in 应该 (“should”), 答应 (“agree”), 应聘 (“apply for a job”), 适应 (“adapt”).
How do you pronounce 应?
应 is read yīng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 应 have?
7 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 应 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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