恒 (héng) is a Chinese character meaning “constant”. It is written from 忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 亘 (to extend across; to span), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “constant”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
忄 + 亘
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（忄3 + 亘6 = 9 笔）；右侧 亘 为表音成分，简化后与 亙 合并，实测读音已分化（亘 gèn / 恒 héng）
Memory aid
忄 on the left is the heart, squeezed upright — this character is about something you hold inside. 亘 on the right is only there for the sound, and that sound has drifted a long way: gèn to héng. A heart that keeps going, unchanged: 恒.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 永恒yǒng héngeternal; everlasting; perpetual恒 = héng
- 恒心héng xīnperseverance; steady determination恒 = héng
Go deeper
All readings
constant
constant; lasting; permanent; perseverance
长久不变的；持久。也指持久不变的意志。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 永恒yǒng héngeternal; everlasting; perpetual恒 = héng
- 恒心héng xīnperseverance; steady determination恒 = héng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 恒 mean?
恒 (héng) means constant; lasting; permanent; perseverance.
How do you pronounce 恒?
It is pronounced héng.
What parts is 恒 made of?
忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 亘 (to extend across; to span), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（忄3 + 亘6 = 9 笔）；右侧 亘 为表音成分，简化后与 亙 合并，实测读音已分化（亘 gèn / 恒 héng）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 恒 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 恒?
心. 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 恒?
Common ones are 永恒 and 恒心. The reading of 恒 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.