卧 (wò) is a Chinese character meaning “to lie down”. It is written from 臣 (official; subject) and 卜 (divination), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to lie down”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
臣 + 卜
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS ⿰臣卜（现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数 6+2=8）
Memory aid
An official (臣) has stopped standing at attention and slumped against the long vertical of 卜 — head tipped, body stretched sideways. He has lain down.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 卧床wò chuángto lie in bed; to be bedridden卧 = wò
- 卧室wò shìbedroom卧 = wò
Go deeper
All readings
to lie down
to lie down; to rest lying on one's side; (of a room or berth) for sleeping
躺下；伏着休息。也用来指供睡觉的地方，如卧室、卧铺。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 卧床wò chuángto lie in bed; to be bedridden卧 = wò
- 卧室wò shìbedroom卧 = wò
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 卧 mean?
卧 (wò) means to lie down; to rest lying on one's side; (of a room or berth) for sleeping.
How do you pronounce 卧?
It is pronounced wò.
What parts is 卧 made of?
臣 (official; subject) and 卜 (divination), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS ⿰臣卜（现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数 6+2=8）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 卧 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 卧?
臣. 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 卧?
Common ones are 卧床 and 卧室. The reading of 卧 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.