货 (huò) is a Chinese character meaning “goods”. It is written from 化 (to change; to transform) and 贝 (shell), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “goods”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
化 + 贝
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 8 笔核验：化 4 笔 + 贝 4 笔）
Memory aid
化 ("to change") sits on top of 贝, the cowrie shell that once served as money. Whatever you can change into money is 货 — goods. 化 (huà) is also the sound clue for huò.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 货币huò bìcurrency; money货 = huò
- 囤货tún huòto stockpile goods货 = huò
- 卸货xiè huòto unload cargo货 = huò
Go deeper
All readings
goods
goods; merchandise; commodity; (in compounds) money, currency
供出售或运输的物品、商品；在一些词里也指钱币。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 货币huò bìcurrency; money货 = huò
- 囤货tún huòto stockpile goods货 = huò
- 卸货xiè huòto unload cargo货 = huò
Sound component
化 family rime near
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 货 mean?
货 (huò) means goods; merchandise; commodity; (in compounds) money, currency.
How do you pronounce 货?
It is pronounced huò.
What parts is 货 made of?
化 (to change; to transform) and 贝 (shell), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 8 笔核验：化 4 笔 + 贝 4 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 货 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 货?
贝. 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 货?
Common ones are 货币 and 囤货. The reading of 货 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.