How to Write 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò) — Meaning “and; with; peace; harmony”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 和?

Picture a farmer (禾) sharing grain with a friend by putting it in their mouth (口) to show harmony. This visual of sharing food helps you remember that 和 means 'and' or 'together in peace.'

Q: What are the key writing tips for 和, especially stroke order and proportions?

Write the left side 禾 first: a short left-falling stroke, then a horizontal stroke, a vertical stroke down, and finally a left-falling and a right-falling stroke. Then add the right side 口 as a vertical rectangle—keep the left part slightly taller so the character looks balanced.

Q: How is 和 different from the similar characters 吁 and 吂?

和 has a left side 禾 (grain), while 吁 has a left side 于 (a different component) and means 'to sigh' or 'shush,' and 吂 has a left side 亡 (death) and is rarely used. Visually, 和’s left part has a horizontal stroke and a vertical line, unlike the simpler left sides of 吁 and 吂.

Q: In modern Chinese, when do we use 和, and is there any cultural meaning?

和 is most commonly used as a conjunction meaning 'and' to connect nouns or noun phrases, like '我和你' (you and me). It also appears in words for 'peace' (和平) and 'harmony' (和谐), reflecting a key value in Chinese culture of balance and unity.

Q: What common words use 和?

Common words containing 和 include: 和平 (hé píng) — peace; 和谐 (hé xié) — harmonious; 附和 (fù hè) — Echo.

hé/hè/hú/huó/huò HSK Level 1 8 strokes Radical: 口

和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò) means "and; with; peace; harmony" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 口, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.2/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 63% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 6+ common words including 和平 (hé píng), 和谐 (hé xié), 附和 (fù hè).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 和 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 和 - hé/hè/hú/huó/huò

Practice Writing 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 和 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 和

The character 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 口 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does hé/hè/hú/huó/huò (和) Mean in Chinese?

和 means and; with; peace; harmony.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: hé, hè, hú, huó, huò.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 和 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character	和
Pinyin	hé / hè / hú / huó / huò (he/hu/huo)
Meaning	and; with; peace; harmony
Strokes	8
Radical	口
HSK Level	1
Difficulty	3.2/5

Origin of 和

和 combines 禾 (grain/rice) and 口 (mouth). Initially, it depicted a mouth singing in harmony with a musical instrument or a response chant, as grain (禾) acted as a phonetic component. Over time, it came to mean peace, harmony, and the conjunction 'and', reflecting the idea of voices or elements blending together harmoniously.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a mouth (口) singing a peaceful tune while holding a stalk of grain (禾) — harmony in every note.

Common Words with 和

和平 hé píng

peace

和谐 hé xié

harmonious

附和 fù hè

Echo

唱和 chàng hè

To respond to a poem with one in the same rhyme; to sing in harmony.

和面 huó miàn

To knead dough.

和泥 huó ní

To mix mud; to mix water with earth.

Example Sentences

世界各国人民都渴望持久的和平。

shì jiè gè guó rén mín dōu kě wàng chí jiǔ de hé píng

People all over the world long for lasting peace.

我们要建立一个和谐的社会环境。

wǒ men yào jiàn lì yí gè hé xié de shè huì huán jìng

We must build a harmonious social environment.

他总是随声附和别人的意见，没有主见。

tā zǒng shì suí shēng fù hè bié rén de yì jiàn méi yǒu zhǔ jiàn

He always echoes others' opinions and has no mind of his own.

诗人们在聚会上互相吟诗唱和。

shī rén men zài jù huì shàng hù xiāng yín shī chàng hè

Poets recited and responded to each other's poems at the gathering.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
和 (current)	hé / hè / hú / huó / huò	8	口
吁	xū / yù	6	口
吂	máng	6	口
吃	chī	6	口

Practice Writing 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 和 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 和

How is the character 和 structured, and how do its parts relate to its meaning?

和 is made of two parts: on the left is 禾 (grain), and on the right is 口 (mouth). Together, they suggest the idea of harmony—grain in the mouth brings satisfaction and peace, leading to meanings like 'and,' 'with,' and 'peace.'

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 和?

What are the key writing tips for 和, especially stroke order and proportions?

How is 和 different from the similar characters 吁 and 吂?

In modern Chinese, when do we use 和, and is there any cultural meaning?

What common words use 和?

How to Write 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò) — Meaning “and; with; peace; harmony”

Practice Writing 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò)

How to Write 和

What Does hé/hè/hú/huó/huò (和) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 和

Common Words with 和

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 和 (hé/hè/hú/huó/huò)

Frequently Asked Questions about 和

More HSK Level 1 Characters

Characters with Radical 口

Other 8-Stroke Characters