The character 跑 — “run”: how to write it and what it means

跑
pǎo

run

12 strokes · HSK 2 · word page

The Chinese character 跑 is read pǎo and means “run”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 跑

跑 has 12 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 跑, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 跑 is made of

On the left, 足 “foot”.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 跑

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 跑?

跑 has 12 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 跑 mean?

跑 means “run”. It appears in 跑步 (“jog”), 跑道 (“running track”), 奔跑 (“run fast”), 逃跑 (“run away”).

How do you pronounce 跑?

跑 is read pǎo. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 跑 have?

12 strokes.

← 踢 kick步 step →

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 跑 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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