How to Write 吼 (hǒu) — Meaning “to roar”

Imagine a lion opening its mouth (口) so wide that you can see a dark hole (孔) inside its throat — that is the moment it roars. This visual links the shape to the sound of a powerful roar.

Make sure the left 口 (mouth) is smaller and sits higher than the right part 孔. The vertical hook in 孔 should be straight and not too curved, and the whole character has exactly 7 strokes — do not add extra lines.

吼 has 口 on the left and 孔 on the right, meaning "to roar." 卟 has 口 plus 卜 (a vertical line with a dot) and is a rare divination-related character, while 古 has 口 plus 十 (ten) and means "ancient." The right-side component clearly distinguishes each character's meaning and usage.

吼 is used in words like 吼叫 (to roar, for animals or angry people) and 大吼 (to shout loudly). It appears in the idiom 河东狮吼, which humorously describes a fierce wife scolding her husband, showing its cultural role in expressing loud, forceful sounds.

Common words containing 吼 include: 吼叫 (hǒu jiào) — to roar; 大吼 (dà hǒu) — To roar / to shout loudly; 吼一声 (hǒu yī shēng) — to give a roar.