听 (tīng) is a Chinese character meaning “to listen”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 斤 (catty (unit of weight)), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to listen”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 斤
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，笔画核验 hanzi-writer-data（口 3 画 + 斤 4 画 = 听 7 画）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) talking at an axe (斤) — the axe never answers, it just takes it all in. That is listening.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 听说tīng shuōto hear of; it is said that听 = tīng
- 好听hǎo tīngpleasant to hear; nice-sounding听 = tīng
- 听取tīng qǔto listen to; to hear out (opinions, a report)听 = tīng
- 倾听qīng tīngto listen attentively听 = tīng
- 窃听qiè tīngto eavesdrop; to wiretap听 = tīng
- 聆听líng tīngto listen attentively (formal)听 = tīng
- 骇人听闻hài rén tīng wénshocking; appalling (literally: to shock those who hear of it)听 = tīng
Go deeper
All readings
to listen
to listen; to hear; to obey
用耳朵接受声音；也指服从、听从。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 听说tīng shuōto hear of; it is said that听 = tīng
- 好听hǎo tīngpleasant to hear; nice-sounding听 = tīng
- 听取tīng qǔto listen to; to hear out (opinions, a report)听 = tīng
- 倾听qīng tīngto listen attentively听 = tīng
- 窃听qiè tīngto eavesdrop; to wiretap听 = tīng
- 聆听líng tīngto listen attentively (formal)听 = tīng
- 骇人听闻hài rén tīng wénshocking; appalling (literally: to shock those who hear of it)听 = tīng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 听 mean?
听 (tīng) means to listen; to hear; to obey.
How do you pronounce 听?
It is pronounced tīng.
What parts is 听 made of?
口 (mouth) and 斤 (catty (unit of weight)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，笔画核验 hanzi-writer-data（口 3 画 + 斤 4 画 = 听 7 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 听 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 听?
口. 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 听?
Common ones are 听说 and 好听. The reading of 听 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.