狼 (láng) is a Chinese character meaning “wolf”. It is written from 犭 (dog / beast radical (side form of 犬)) and 良 (good; fine (often the sound part in compounds)), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “wolf”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
犭 + 良
Left–right structure
- 犭 dog / beast radical (side form of 犬) · quǎn meaning
- 良 good; fine (often the sound part in compounds) · liáng sound
Structure from: 说文解字：狼，似犬，銳頭白頰，高前廣後。从犬良聲（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：10 笔 = 左旁「犭」3 笔 + 右侧「良」7 笔）
Memory aid
犭 — the animal side — next to 良 (good, fine): a wild animal that only looks like a good dog. That is 狼, the wolf, as in 豺狼, jackals and wolves.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 狼狈láng bèiin a sorry state; awkward; badly off狼 = láng
- 豺狼chái lángjackals and wolves; (fig.) cruel and vicious people狼 = láng
Go deeper
All readings
wolf
wolf
一种像狗的野兽，性情凶猛，常成群捕食其他动物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 狼狈láng bèiin a sorry state; awkward; badly off狼 = láng
- 豺狼chái lángjackals and wolves; (fig.) cruel and vicious people狼 = láng
Sound component
良 family rime near
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 狼 mean?
狼 (láng) means wolf.
How do you pronounce 狼?
It is pronounced láng.
What parts is 狼 made of?
犭 (dog / beast radical (side form of 犬)) and 良 (good; fine (often the sound part in compounds)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：狼，似犬，銳頭白頰，高前廣後。从犬良聲（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：10 笔 = 左旁「犭」3 笔 + 右侧「良」7 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 狼 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 狼?
犬. 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 狼?
Common ones are 狼狈 and 豺狼. The reading of 狼 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.