龙 (lóng) is a Chinese character meaning “dragon — the auspicious scaled creature of Chinese myth”. It is written from 尤 (especially; outstanding) and 丿 (left-falling stroke), and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “dragon”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
尤 + 丿
Overlapping structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画比对：龙 的第1、2、3、5 笔与 尤 的四笔逐笔重合，余下第4笔为一撇
Memory aid
Take 尤 (outstanding) and cut one extra 丿 slash right through its middle. Both parts are really in this character: the outstanding beast with a claw slashing across it — the dragon.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 龙凤lóng fèngdragon and phoenix — a classic auspicious pair龙 = lóng
- 龙王lóng wángDragon King — the rain-bringing dragon god of Chinese folklore龙 = lóng
- 尼龙ní lóngnylon龙 = lóng
- 龙舟lóng zhōudragon boat龙 = lóng
- 龙虾lóng xiālobster龙 = lóng
Go deeper
All readings
dragon
dragon — the auspicious scaled creature of Chinese myth; by extension, imperial or grand things
中国传说中能兴云降雨的神异动物，是吉祥的象征；旧时也用来指帝王。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 龙凤lóng fèngdragon and phoenix — a classic auspicious pair龙 = lóng
- 龙王lóng wángDragon King — the rain-bringing dragon god of Chinese folklore龙 = lóng
- 尼龙ní lóngnylon龙 = lóng
- 龙舟lóng zhōudragon boat龙 = lóng
- 龙虾lóng xiālobster龙 = lóng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 龙 mean?
龙 (lóng) means dragon — the auspicious scaled creature of Chinese myth; by extension, imperial or grand things.
How do you pronounce 龙?
It is pronounced lóng.
What parts is 龙 made of?
尤 (especially; outstanding) and 丿 (left-falling stroke). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画比对：龙 的第1、2、3、5 笔与 尤 的四笔逐笔重合，余下第4笔为一撇. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 龙 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 龙?
龙. 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 龙?
Common ones are 龙凤 and 龙王. The reading of 龙 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.