护 (hù) is a Chinese character meaning “to protect”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 户 (door; household), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to protect”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 户
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰扌户；笔画核验 扌3 + 户4 = 7）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) posted at the door (户): you stand at the doorway and keep what is inside safe — you protect it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 护士hù shinurse护 = hù
- 守护shǒu hùto guard; to watch over护 = hù
- 呵护hē hùto cherish; to take good care of护 = hù
- 庇护bì hùto shelter; to give asylum to护 = hù
- 保护bǎo hùto protect; to safeguard护 = hù
- 维护wéi hùto maintain; to safeguard护 = hù
Go deeper
All readings
to protect
to protect; to guard; to shield; to look after
保卫、照料，使不受伤害。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 护士hù shinurse护 = hù
- 守护shǒu hùto guard; to watch over护 = hù
- 呵护hē hùto cherish; to take good care of护 = hù
- 庇护bì hùto shelter; to give asylum to护 = hù
- 保护bǎo hùto protect; to safeguard护 = hù
- 维护wéi hùto maintain; to safeguard护 = hù
Sound component
户 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 护 mean?
护 (hù) means to protect; to guard; to shield; to look after.
How do you pronounce 护?
It is pronounced hù.
What parts is 护 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 户 (door; household), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰扌户；笔画核验 扌3 + 户4 = 7）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 护 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 护?
扌. 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 护?
Common ones are 护士 and 守护. The reading of 护 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.