城
城 (chéng) means “city”. It is made of 土 + 成 and has 9 strokes, and is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 城 into its parts
What 城 is made of
- 土 tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
- 成 chéng — to accomplish
- 丁 dīng — male adult
- 戈 gē — spear
Origin hint: 土 gives the meaning, 成 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
城 stroke order
Example sentences
我们住在城东。Wǒmen zhù zài chéng dōng.We live in the east of the city.
你每天进城工作吗？Nǐ měi tiān jìn chéng gōngzuò ma?Do you go into town to work every day?
Words with 城
Also built with 土
- 去qùto go
- 吐tǔto spit
- 圣shèngholy
- 在zàiat
- 地deadverb particle (-ly)
- 场chǎngplace
- 圾jīgarbage
- 址zhǐlocation
- 均jūnequal
- 坏huàibad
- 坐zuòto sit
- 坑kēngpit
Quick facts
| Pinyin | chéng |
|---|---|
| Meaning | city; town; city wall |
| Strokes | 9 |
| Radical | 土 (earth, #32) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 4 (exam 2025) · HSK 3 (2021) |
Questions about 城
What does 城 mean?
城 (chéng) means “city; town; city wall”.
How many strokes does 城 have?
城 has 9 strokes.
What is the radical of 城?
The radical of 城 is 土 (tǔ, “earth”), Kangxi radical number 32.
What parts make up 城?
城 is made of 土 (earth) and 成 (to accomplish).
Which HSK level is 城?
城 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021).
Learn 城 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 95: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.