唬 (hǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “to bluff”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 虎 (tiger), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to bluff; to scare”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 虎
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：唬，从口从虎；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（口3 + 虎8 = 11）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) next to a tiger (虎): someone roaring like a tiger to scare you — that's bluffing. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 唬人hǔ rénto bluff; to scare people唬 = hǔ
- 吓唬xià huto scare; to frighten someone唬 = hǔ
Go deeper
All readings
to bluff; to scare
to bluff; to intimidate; to scare someone (often with empty threats)
虚张声势地吓人或蒙骗人。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 唬人hǔ rénto bluff; to scare people唬 = hǔ
- 吓唬xià huto scare; to frighten someone唬 = hǔ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 唬 mean?
唬 (hǔ) means to bluff; to intimidate; to scare someone (often with empty threats).
How do you pronounce 唬?
It is pronounced hǔ.
What parts is 唬 made of?
口 (mouth) and 虎 (tiger), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：唬，从口从虎；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（口3 + 虎8 = 11）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 唬 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 唬?
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 唬?
Common ones are 唬人 and 吓唬. The reading of 唬 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.