How to Write 亨 (hēng) — Meaning “prosperous; smooth”

Picture a tycoon (大亨) sitting under a roof (亠) with a big mouth (口) giving orders and a strong nail (丁) as his symbol of power. This image connects the character's components to its meaning of wealth and smooth success.

Start with the top dot and horizontal stroke (亠), then write the mouth (口) below it, and finally the horizontal and vertical hook of 丁. Make sure the mouth is centered and slightly narrow, and the vertical hook of 丁 extends below the mouth. A common mistake is making the mouth too wide or misaligning the 丁 stroke.

亨 (hēng) means prosperous and has a mouth under a roof. 㐬 (liú or similar) is rare and often a variant of 流 (flow) with different structure. 㐭 (lǐn) is an ancient form of 廩 (granary). While all share a top component, 亨's mouth and nail differentiate it, and 㐬 typically has more strokes or a different bottom part.

亨 appears in phrases like 亨通 (hēng tōng) meaning smooth sailing and 万事亨通 (wàn shì hēng tōng) for everything going well. It is also used in 大亨 (dà hēng) to mean a powerful tycoon. Though not in HSK, it's common in auspicious greetings and business contexts, reflecting a desire for smooth success.

Common words containing 亨 include: 亨通 (hēng tōng) — prosperous; smooth-sailing; 大亨 (dà hēng) — Tycoon / mogul; 万事亨通 (wàn shì hēng tōng) — everything is going smoothly; prosperity in all things.