The character 根 — “root”: how to write it and what it means
root
The Chinese character 根 is read gēn and means “root”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 根
根 has 10 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 根, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 根 is made of
On the left, 木 “tree”. The right part is the same as in 跟 gēn and 很 hěn.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 根
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 根?
根 has 10 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 根 mean?
根 means “root”. It appears in 根据 (“according to”), 根本 (“root”).
How do you pronounce 根?
根 is read gēn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 根 have?
10 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 根 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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