冗 (rǒng) is a Chinese character meaning “superfluous”. It is written from 冖 (cover) and 几 (small table; how many), one above the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “superfluous”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
冖 + 几
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：冖 2 画 + 几 2 画 = 4 画）
Memory aid
A cover (冖) draped over a little table (几). Whatever is piled under that cloth, nobody needs it — 冗 is the stuff that is superfluous.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 冗长rǒng chánglong-winded; tediously lengthy冗 = rǒng
- 冗余rǒng yúredundancy; redundant冗 = rǒng
Go deeper
All readings
superfluous
superfluous; redundant; unnecessary; (of writing or speech) tediously long
多余的、不必要的；也指文字或话语繁杂啰嗦。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 冗长rǒng chánglong-winded; tediously lengthy冗 = rǒng
- 冗余rǒng yúredundancy; redundant冗 = rǒng
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 冗 mean?
冗 (rǒng) means superfluous; redundant; unnecessary; (of writing or speech) tediously long.
How do you pronounce 冗?
It is pronounced rǒng.
What parts is 冗 made of?
冖 (cover) and 几 (small table; how many), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：冖 2 画 + 几 2 画 = 4 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 冗 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 冗?
冖. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 冗?
Common ones are 冗长 and 冗余. The reading of 冗 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.