宋 (sòng) is a Chinese character meaning “Song, a Chinese dynasty (960–1279)”. It is written from 宀 (roof) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “Song (dynasty)”
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Structure
宀 + 木
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：宋，居也。从宀从木
Memory aid
A roof (宀) resting on timber (木) — a settled house. Both parts really are in this character, and this is the name a dynasty took for itself.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 宋朝Sòng cháothe Song dynasty (960–1279)宋 = sòng
- 宋代Sòng dàithe Song period; in the Song dynasty宋 = sòng
Go deeper
All readings
Song (dynasty)
Song, a Chinese dynasty (960–1279); also a Chinese surname
朝代名，宋朝（960—1279）；也是一个姓氏。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 宋朝Sòng cháothe Song dynasty (960–1279)宋 = sòng
- 宋代Sòng dàithe Song period; in the Song dynasty宋 = sòng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 宋 mean?
宋 (sòng) means Song, a Chinese dynasty (960–1279); also a Chinese surname.
How do you pronounce 宋?
It is pronounced sòng.
What parts is 宋 made of?
宀 (roof) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：宋，居也。从宀从木. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 宋 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 宋?
宀. 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 宋?
Common ones are 宋朝 and 宋代. The reading of 宋 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.