Hanzi Writer

How to Write 午 (wǔ) — Meaning “noon”

wǔ HSK Level 1 4 strokes Radical: 十

午 (wǔ) means "noon" in Chinese. It has 4 strokes with the radical 十, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 1.9/5 in difficulty (beginner-friendly).

Harder than 15% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 中午 (zhōng wǔ), 下午 (xià wǔ), 午饭 (wǔ fàn).

In the Hanzi Writer app, most learners master 午 within 3 practice attempts using stroke-by-stroke animation.

Stroke order practice for 午 - wǔ

Practice Writing 午 (wǔ)

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

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How to Write 午

The character 午 (wǔ) is written with 4 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 十 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 wǔ (午) Mean in Chinese?

午 means noon.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 午 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character午
Pinyinwǔ (wu)
Meaningnoon
Strokes4
Radical十
HSK Level1
Difficulty1.9/5

Origin of 午

Originally, 午 was a pictograph of a pestle used for pounding grain in a mortar, depicting a wooden handle with a heavy head. Over time, its meaning was borrowed to represent 'noon,' possibly because the sun at its zenith resembles the vertical line crossing the horizontal mortar. The modern form retains a cross-like structure (十 with an extra horizontal stroke), hinting at the midpoint of the day.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture the sun at high noon as a cross (十) with a horizontal line through its center, like a clock's hands marking midday.

Common Words with 午

中午 zhōng wǔ
noon; midday
下午 xià wǔ
afternoon
午饭 wǔ fàn
lunch

Example Sentences

我们中午一起吃饭。

wǒ men zhōng wǔ yì qǐ chī fàn

We will have lunch together.

下午三点有课。

xià wǔ sān diǎn yǒu kè

There is a class at three o'clock in the afternoon.

你午饭想吃什么？

nǐ wǔ fàn xiǎng chī shén me

What do you want to eat for lunch?

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
午 (current) wǔ 4 十
十 shí 2 十
千 qiān 3 十
卄 niàn 3 十
Stroke order practice for 午 - wǔ

Practice Writing 午 (wǔ)

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

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 午

午 contains the radical 十 (ten) at the top, followed by a vertical stroke that crosses two horizontal lines. This shape can remind you of the sun at its highest point at noon, with the vertical line representing sunlight piercing through the sky.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 十

倝gàn十shí千qiān卄niàn卅sà升shēng卉huì半bàn卌xì华huá/huà

Other 4-Stroke Characters

不bú/bù丏miǎn丐gài丑chǒu专zhuān中zhōng/zhòng丰fēng丹dān为wéi/wèi乌wū