横 Stroke Order — How to Write 横
横 is written in 15 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 木, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
横 Radical and Character Components
横 is a phono-semantic compound: 木 (tree) carries the meaning, while 黄 indicates the sound.
Radical: 木 + 11 more strokes
横 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- héng
- hèng
Meanings of 横 in Chinese
1
héng横
Horizontal; lying flat or across, opposite to vertical, often referring to a beam or bar in construction.
这座桥的横梁非常坚固。
The crossbeams of this bridge are very strong.
Horizontal; sideways; across; perpendicular to the line of sight (opposite to vertical).
写字时，如果横着写，会觉得有些不习惯。
When writing, if you write horizontally, it might feel a bit unusual.
In geography, refers to the east-west direction, as opposed to 'vertical' or 'north-south'.
地图上的横线通常表示东西方向。
Horizontal lines on a map usually indicate the east-west direction.
2
hèng横
fierce, unreasonable, or tyrannical; overbearing and violent.
他说话很横，没有人敢反驳。
He speaks in a very overbearing manner, so no one dares to refute him.
Unexpected or unusual, often referring to sudden misfortune or accidental events.
那场车祸让他遭受了飞来横祸。
That car accident caused him an unexpected calamity.
Common Words and Phrases with 横
1
2
A horizontal tablet or plaque.
新开的茶馆门前挂着一块古朴的横匾，上面写着店名。
A rustic horizontal plaque hung above the entrance of the newly opened teahouse, with its name inscribed on it.
3
a slogan banner; a banner
校庆典礼上，教学楼前悬挂着庆祝建校百年的大横标，气氛非常热烈。
During the school anniversary celebration, a large banner celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the school's founding was hung in front of the teaching building, creating a very warm atmosphere.
4
A wave in which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.
地震波中有一种是横波，其振动方向垂直于传播方向。
Among seismic waves, there is a type called a transverse wave, whose vibration direction is perpendicular to its propagation direction.
5
A social dance step where one foot moves sideways and the other slides to meet it.
在华尔兹舞中，他熟练地使用横步，让舞伴感觉轻松又愉悦。
In the waltz, he skillfully performed the chassé, making his partner feel relaxed and joyful.
6
Ill-gotten wealth; a windfall.
他通过股票市场的波动，意外地获得了一笔横财
He unexpectedly obtained a substantial windfall through the fluctuations in the stock market.
7
To lie or stretch across horizontally; to be scattered or strewn.
暴风雨过后，折断的树木横陈在森林的小径上
After the storm, broken trees lay sprawled across the forest path.
8
to rush wildly and recklessly, often bumping into things
小狗在花园里横冲直撞，追逐着蝴蝶。
The puppy was running wildly in the garden, chasing butterflies.
9
to cross (horizontally), especially a busy area
我们横穿森林，终于找到了小溪。
We traversed the forest and finally found the stream.
10
a row; a rank; a horizontal formation
学生们排成横队，准备开始体育活动。
The students formed a horizontal line, ready to start the sports activity.
11
A horizontal banner, plaque, or inscription.
商店门口挂着一个红色的横额，庆祝开业大吉。
A red banner was hung above the shop entrance, celebrating its grand opening.
12
to fly/splash everywhere or in all directions
机器运行时，火花横飞，工人们都戴着防护眼镜。
When the machine was running, sparks were flying everywhere, so the workers all wore protective glasses.
13
A horizontal banner or streamer, typically displaying text or images for a slogan, advertisement, or as an emblem.
商店门口挂着一条庆祝开业的横幅。
A banner celebrating the grand opening hung at the store's entrance.
14
Tabula; one of the transverse partitions found in the calicles of various corals and hydroids.
科学家通过观察珊瑚花萼中的横隔结构，可以识别不同种类的珊瑚。
Scientists can identify different species of coral by observing the transverse septa structure in the coral calyx.
15
16
unexpected calamity; sudden misfortune
他不幸遭遇横祸，全家陷入困境。
He unfortunately encountered an unforeseen calamity, and his entire family fell into difficulties.
More words with 横
- jiāo骄hèng横Arrogant and overbearing, Haughty and insolent
- zhuān专hèng横Domineering and imperious.
- mán蛮hèng横rude and unreasonable; arbitrary
- zòng纵héng横vertical and horizontal, crisscross
- diāo刁hèng横arbitrary and atrocious
- háo豪hèng横Arrogant and overbearing, Ostentatious and showy
- jiào叫hèng横shout abuse, yell aggressively
- shuǎ耍hèng横act tough, be unreasonable
- héng横kuà跨span, cross
- héng横bīn滨Yokohama
- héng横dù渡cross, traverse
- héng横gān杆crossbar, bar
- héng横gèn亘stretch across, lie across
- héng横lán栏crossbar, bar
- héng横liáng梁beam, girder
- héng横méi楣lintel, doorhead
- héng横xiàn线horizontal line, dash
- héng横xíng行to walk sideways, to run rampant
- héng横wò卧lie across, lie horizontally
- héng横xuán痃bubo, gonorrheal bubo
Idioms with 横
- héng横chōng冲zhí直chuǎng闯charge about recklessly
- héng横dǎo倒shù竖wò卧lie about in disorder
- héng横lán拦shù竖dǎng挡to block from all directions
- hèng横mán蛮wú无lǐ理truculent and unreasonable
- héng横méi眉lěng冷yǎn眼to glare disdainfully
- héng横méi眉lì立mù目to scowl fiercely and glare angrily
- héng横méi眉nù怒mù目to scowl in anger
- héng横méi眉nù怒shì视to glare angrily
- héng横méi眉shù竖mù目to frown and glare fiercely
- héng横méi眉shù竖yǎn眼to scowl fiercely and glare angrily
- héng横qī七shù竖bā八scattered in a disorderly fashion
- hèng横qiǎng抢wǔ武duó夺violently snatch and forcibly seize
Recommended tools
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →Questions about 横
What does 横 mean in Chinese?
横 (héng) means “Horizontal” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 横?
横 has 2 pronunciations: héng, hèng.
How many strokes does 横 have?
横 has 15 strokes.
How do you write 横?
横 is written in 15 strokes, starting from the radical 木. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 横?
The radical of 横 is 木, and 横 is a phono-semantic compound.
