How to Write 匈 (xiōng) — Meaning “Xiongnu; chest (archaic)”

Imagine a fierce warrior (凶) with his arms wrapped around his chest (勹) — and remember that 匈 can also mean 'chest' in archaic Chinese. Another trick is to think of the word 匈牙利 (Hungary), which starts with 匈: the country name is a modern link to this old character.

Start by writing the outer radical 勹: first a curved stroke from the top left, then a horizontal hook at the bottom. Next, write the inner 凶: first the top stroke, then the left and right strokes forming an open box, and finally the cross in the middle. The most common mistake is making the inner 凶 too large or not centering it inside the wrap.

All three share the outer radical 勹, but the inner parts are different. 勾 has 厶 inside and means 'hook' or 'to lure' (e.g., 勾引). 勿 has a simple left-slash stroke inside and means 'do not'. 匈 has the more complex 凶 inside, giving it the meaning of a fierce tribe or ancient chest.

Today, 匈 appears mainly in the country name 匈牙利 (Hungary) and in historical terms like 匈奴 (Xiongnu) and 匈人 (the Huns). The Xiongnu were a powerful nomadic confederation that fought against ancient Chinese dynasties, and this character carries that cultural memory. It is not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 匈 include: 匈牙利 (xiōng yá lì) — Hungary; 匈奴 (xiōng nú) — Xiongnu (ancient nomadic people); 匈人 (xiōng rén) — the Huns.