况 (kuàng) is a Chinese character meaning “situation”. It is written from 冫 (ice; two dots of ice) and 兄 (elder brother), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “situation”
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Structure
冫 + 兄
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·水部（況，寒水也。从水兄聲）；简化字形左旁作冫，以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：7 画 = 冫 2 画 + 兄 5 画
Memory aid
Two drops of ice (冫) on the left, an elder brother (兄) on the right: the big brother keeps a cool head and asks how the situation stands. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 状况zhuàng kuàngcondition; state of affairs况 = kuàngHSK 5
- 何况hé kuàngmuch less; let alone况 = kuàngHSK 5
Go deeper
All readings
situation
situation; condition; circumstances; moreover, let alone
情形、状态；也用作连词，表示更进一层。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 状况zhuàng kuàngcondition; state of affairs况 = kuàngHSK 5
- 何况hé kuàngmuch less; let alone况 = kuàngHSK 5
Sound component
兄 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 况 mean?
况 (kuàng) means situation; condition; circumstances; moreover, let alone.
How do you pronounce 况?
It is pronounced kuàng.
What parts is 况 made of?
冫 (ice; two dots of ice) and 兄 (elder brother), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·水部（況，寒水也。从水兄聲）；简化字形左旁作冫，以 hanzi-writer-data 核验：7 画 = 冫 2 画 + 兄 5 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 况 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 况?
冫. 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 况?
Common ones are 状况 and 何况. The reading of 况 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.