考
考 (kǎo) means “to take an exam”. It is made of 耂 + 丂 and has 6 strokes, and is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 考 into its parts
What 考 is made of
- 耂 lǎo — old
- 土 tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 土 tǔ — earth
- 丂 kǎo — obstruction of breath (qi)
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 耂 gives the meaning, 丂 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
考 stroke order
Example sentences
明天考汉语。Míngtiān kǎo Hànyǔ.We have a Chinese test tomorrow.
你考得怎么样？Nǐ kǎo de zěnmeyàng?How did your exam go?
Words with 考
- 考试kǎoshìexam
- 考生kǎoshēngexam candidate
- 考验kǎoyànto test
- 参考cānkǎoto consult
- 考察kǎocháto inspect
- 考虑kǎolǜto consider
- 思考sīkǎoto think
- 考古kǎogǔarchaeology
- 考核kǎohéto assess
- 报考bàokǎoto register for an exam
- 高考gāokǎocollege entrance exam
Also built with 耂
Quick facts
| Pinyin | kǎo |
|---|---|
| Meaning | to take an exam; to test |
| Strokes | 6 |
| Radical | 老 (old, #125) |
| Pattern | Top-left wrap |
| HSK | HSK 2 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) |
Questions about 考
What does 考 mean?
考 (kǎo) means “to take an exam; to test”.
How many strokes does 考 have?
考 has 6 strokes.
What is the radical of 考?
The radical of 考 is 老 (lǎo, “old”), Kangxi radical number 125.
What parts make up 考?
考 is made of 耂 (old) and 丂 (obstruction of breath (qi)).
Which HSK level is 考?
考 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021).
Learn 考 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 49: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.