竟 (jìng) is a Chinese character meaning “after all”. It is written from 音 (sound; tone) and 儿 (child; legs), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “after all”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
音 + 儿
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 竟，樂曲盡爲竟。从音从人。现代字形 ⿱音儿（cjkvi-ids 构建期核对，hanzi-writer-data 11 笔核验：音 第 1–9 笔 + 儿 第 10–11 笔）
Memory aid
A person on two legs (儿) stands under the music (音) and waits until the very last note — finally, it is over.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 毕竟bì jìngafter all; all in all竟 = jìngHSK 5
- 究竟jiū jìngactually; after all; the outcome竟 = jìngHSK 5
Go deeper
All readings
after all; unexpectedly
after all; in the end; unexpectedly; to finish
终于、到底；也表示出乎意料（竟然）；完毕。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 毕竟bì jìngafter all; all in all竟 = jìngHSK 5
- 究竟jiū jìngactually; after all; the outcome竟 = jìngHSK 5
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 竟 mean?
竟 (jìng) means after all; in the end; unexpectedly; to finish.
How do you pronounce 竟?
It is pronounced jìng.
What parts is 竟 made of?
音 (sound; tone) and 儿 (child; legs), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 竟，樂曲盡爲竟。从音从人。现代字形 ⿱音儿（cjkvi-ids 构建期核对，hanzi-writer-data 11 笔核验：音 第 1–9 笔 + 儿 第 10–11 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 竟 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 竟?
立. 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 竟?
Common ones are 毕竟 and 究竟. The reading of 竟 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.