The character 横 — “horizontal”: how to write it and what it means
horizontal, crosswise
The Chinese character 横 is read héng and means “horizontal, crosswise”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 横
横 has 15 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 横, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 横 is made of
On the left, 木 “wood”: a crossbar. On the right, 黄. The opposite of 竖 “vertical”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 横?
横 has 15 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 横 mean?
横 means “horizontal, crosswise”.
How do you pronounce 横?
横 is read héng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 横 have?
15 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 横 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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