动 (dòng) is a Chinese character meaning “to move”. It is written from 云 (cloud) and 力 (strength; power), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to move”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
云 + 力
Left–right structure
Structure from: modern simplified glyph decomposition, verified against hanzi-writer-data stroke counts (云 4 + 力 2 = 6)
Memory aid
A cloud (云) on the left, muscle (力) on the right: put force behind a drifting cloud and it moves. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 运动yùn dòngsport; exercise; to exercise动 = dòng
- 动物dòng wùanimal动 = dòng
- 冲动chōng dòngimpulse; to act on impulse; impulsive动 = dòng
- 动画dòng huàanimation; cartoon动 = dòng
- 劳动láo dònglabor; physical work; to work动 = dòng
- 启动qǐ dòngto start up; to launch动 = dòng
- 抖动dǒu dòngto shake; to vibrate; to jolt动 = dòng
- 行动xíng dòngaction; to take action; to move about动 = dòng
- 转动zhuàn dòngto rotate; to revolve around an axis动 = dòng
- 轰动hōng dòngto cause a sensation; to make a stir动 = dòng
- 驱动qū dòngto drive; to power动 = dòng
- 动荡dòng dàngturbulence; unrest; upheaval动 = dòng
- 哄动hōng dòngto cause a commotion; to create a stir动 = dòng
- 挪动nuó dòngto move; to shift (something) a short distance动 = dòng
- 振动zhèn dòngto vibrate; vibration动 = dòng
- 晃动huàng dòngto sway; to rock back and forth动 = dòng
- 浮动fú dòngto float about; to fluctuate动 = dòng
- 移动yí dòngto move; mobile动 = dòng
- 被动bèi dòngpassive动 = dòng
Go deeper
All readings
to move
to move; to act; to stir; to use (a tool or one's hands)
改变位置或姿态；开始做某事。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 运动yùn dòngsport; exercise; to exercise动 = dòng
- 动物dòng wùanimal动 = dòng
- 冲动chōng dòngimpulse; to act on impulse; impulsive动 = dòng
- 动画dòng huàanimation; cartoon动 = dòng
- 劳动láo dònglabor; physical work; to work动 = dòng
- 启动qǐ dòngto start up; to launch动 = dòng
- 抖动dǒu dòngto shake; to vibrate; to jolt动 = dòng
- 行动xíng dòngaction; to take action; to move about动 = dòng
- 转动zhuàn dòngto rotate; to revolve around an axis动 = dòng
- 轰动hōng dòngto cause a sensation; to make a stir动 = dòng
- 驱动qū dòngto drive; to power动 = dòng
- 动荡dòng dàngturbulence; unrest; upheaval动 = dòng
- 哄动hōng dòngto cause a commotion; to create a stir动 = dòng
- 挪动nuó dòngto move; to shift (something) a short distance动 = dòng
- 振动zhèn dòngto vibrate; vibration动 = dòng
- 晃动huàng dòngto sway; to rock back and forth动 = dòng
- 浮动fú dòngto float about; to fluctuate动 = dòng
- 移动yí dòngto move; mobile动 = dòng
- 被动bèi dòngpassive动 = dòng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 动 mean?
动 (dòng) means to move; to act; to stir; to use (a tool or one's hands).
How do you pronounce 动?
It is pronounced dòng.
What parts is 动 made of?
云 (cloud) and 力 (strength; power), side by side. The recorded source is: modern simplified glyph decomposition, verified against hanzi-writer-data stroke counts (云 4 + 力 2 = 6). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 动 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 动?
力. 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 动?
Common ones are 运动 and 动物. The reading of 动 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.