纵 (zòng) is a Chinese character meaning “vertical”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 从 (to follow; two people one behind the other), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “lengthwise; to let loose”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 从
Left–right structure
- 纟 silk; thread (left-side form) · sī meaning
- 从 to follow; two people one behind the other · cóng sound
Structure from: 说文解字: 縱，緩也。从糸從聲（简化字形 纟+从 已按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验 3+4=7）
Memory aid
A silk thread (纟) running alongside two people walking one behind the other (从). A line of followers stretching away from you — that lengthwise direction is 纵; let the thread out and it also means to let loose.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 纵队zòng duìcolumn; file (a line of people one behind another)纵 = zòng
- 纵横zòng héngvertical and horizontal; crisscross纵 = zòng
Go deeper
All readings
lengthwise; to let loose
vertical; lengthwise; north-to-south; to release, let loose or indulge
竖的、南北方向的；也表示放开、听任。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 纵队zòng duìcolumn; file (a line of people one behind another)纵 = zòng
- 纵横zòng héngvertical and horizontal; crisscross纵 = zòng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 纵 mean?
纵 (zòng) means vertical; lengthwise; north-to-south; to release, let loose or indulge.
How do you pronounce 纵?
It is pronounced zòng.
What parts is 纵 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 从 (to follow; two people one behind the other), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 縱，緩也。从糸從聲（简化字形 纟+从 已按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验 3+4=7）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 纵 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 纵?
糸. 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 纵?
Common ones are 纵队 and 纵横. The reading of 纵 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.