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How to Write 命 (mìng) — Meaning “life; fate; command”

mìng HSK Level 3 8 strokes Radical: 口

命 (mìng) means "life; fate; command" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 口, and is HSK Level 3.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 47% of HSK Level 3 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 生命 (shēng mìng), 命令 (mìng lìng), 救命 (jiù mìng).

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

Stroke order practice for 命 - mìng

Practice Writing 命 (mìng)

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How to Write 命

The character 命 (mìng) 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 mìng (命) Mean in Chinese?

命 means life; fate; command.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 命 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character命
Pinyinmìng (ming)
Meaninglife; fate; command
Strokes8
Radical口
HSK Level3
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 命

命 combines 令 (command) and 口 (mouth), originally depicting a spoken order. In ancient Chinese thought, one's life and fate were seen as decrees from heaven, so the character came to mean 'life' and 'fate' as well.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a person (亻) standing before a mouth (口) that speaks a command, sealing your entire life's destiny.

Common Words with 命

生命 shēng mìng
life
命令 mìng lìng
command; order
救命 jiù mìng
Help!; to save a life

Example Sentences

水是生命的源泉。

shuǐ shì shēng mìng de yuán quán

Water is the source of life.

这是一个重要的命令。

zhè shì yí gè zhòng yào de mìng lìng

This is an important command.

有人在大声喊救命。

yǒu rén zài dà shēng hǎn jiù mìng

Someone is shouting for help loudly.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
命 (current) mìng 8 口
吁 xū / yù 6 口
吂 máng 6 口
吃 chī 6 口
Stroke order practice for 命 - mìng

Practice Writing 命 (mìng)

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

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 命

命 is composed of 亼 (a roof or meeting) on top, 口 (mouth) below, and 卩 (a kneeling person) on the right. The roof and mouth suggest issuing an order, while the kneeling person indicates receiving it, together meaning 'command' or 'fate'.

More HSK Level 3 Characters

按àn把bǎ/bà握wò搬bān保bǎo持chí存cún险xiǎn证zhèng被bèi领lǐng较jiào赛sài化huà标biāo达dá格gé演yǎn并bìng播bō

Characters with Radical 口

㕡hé卟bǔ口kǒu古gǔ句gōu/jù另lìng叨dāo/tāo叩kòu只zhī/zhǐ叫jiào

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng