How to Write 哭 (kū) — Meaning “To cry”

Picture a dog (犬) howling with two wide-open mouths (口口) above it, as if crying loudly. This visual of a dog with multiple mouths making a sad noise helps link the shape to the meaning "to cry."

Write the two 口 radicals first (left then right), then the 犬 component below. A common mistake is misplacing the dot in 犬—it should be the last stroke, placed inside the upper-right area. Keep the two mouths small and balanced above the larger dog part.

哭 means "to cry" (a verb), while 呢 is a sentence-final particle (ne) used for questions or emphasis, and 呣 is an interjection (m̀, like "hmm"). Visually, 哭 has two mouths and a dog, whereas 呢 has 口 plus 尼, and 呣 has 口 plus 母.

哭 is a common verb for crying or weeping, used in phrases like 别哭 (bié kū, "don't cry") and 大哭 (dà kū, "cry loudly"). In Chinese culture, crying is generally seen as a natural emotional release, but public crying may be more restrained in formal settings.

Common words containing 哭 include: 别哭 (bié kū) — Don't cry.; 大哭 (dà kū) — To cry loudly / to wail; 哭了 (kū le) — Cried.