How to Write 孔 (kǒng) — Meaning “hole; opening; (a surname)”

Imagine a child (子) peeking through a round hole (the curved stroke on the right). This visual of a child looking through a hole helps associate the shape with the meaning 'hole'. Also, think of Confucius (孔子) as a wise child with a curious eye.

The stroke order is: first write the left part 子 (3 strokes), then the right curved stroke as the fourth stroke. A common mistake is to make the right stroke too short or to separate it into two strokes; it should be a single smooth curve from top to bottom-left.

孔 has an extra curved stroke on the right side compared to 子, which is just the left part meaning 'child'. 孑 looks different: it usually has a dot or a hook shape without the bottom horizontal line of 子, and it means 'lonely'.

孔 is a common surname, most famously in 孔子 (Confucius). It also appears in everyday words like 鼻孔 (nostril) and 孔雀 (peacock). Knowing 孔 helps you recognize these common terms and understand references to Confucian philosophy.

Common words containing 孔 include: 孔子 (kǒng zi) — Confucius; 鼻孔 (bí kǒng) — Nostril; 孔雀 (kǒng què) — peacock.