衷 (zhōng) is a Chinese character meaning “inner feelings”. It is written from 衣 (clothing; garment) and 中 (middle; center), one enclosing the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “inner feelings”
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Structure
衣 + 中
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 衷，裏褻衣。从衣中聲; IDS ⿴衣中 与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（衣=0,1,6–9；中=2–5）
Memory aid
The garment 衣 is split open and 中 (middle) sits right inside it — what is worn closest, in the very middle, is what you truly feel.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 衷心zhōng xīnheartfelt; wholehearted衷 = zhōng
- 由衷yóu zhōngfrom the bottom of one’s heart; sincere衷 = zhōng
Go deeper
All readings
inner feelings
inner feelings; heartfelt; sincere
内心；内心的感情。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 衷心zhōng xīnheartfelt; wholehearted衷 = zhōng
- 由衷yóu zhōngfrom the bottom of one’s heart; sincere衷 = zhōng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 衷 mean?
衷 (zhōng) means inner feelings; heartfelt; sincere.
How do you pronounce 衷?
It is pronounced zhōng.
What parts is 衷 made of?
衣 (clothing; garment) and 中 (middle; center), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 衷，裏褻衣。从衣中聲; IDS ⿴衣中 与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（衣=0,1,6–9；中=2–5）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 衷 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 衷?
衣. 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 衷?
Common ones are 衷心 and 由衷. The reading of 衷 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.