恭 (gōng) is a Chinese character meaning “respectful”. It is written from 共 (together; in common) and ⺗ (heart (心) in its flattened bottom form), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “respectful”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
共 + ⺗
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：恭，肅也。从心共聲；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（共 6 画 + ⺗ 4 画）
Memory aid
Everything held together (共) raised above the heart (⺗): you offer it all with your whole heart — that is being respectful. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 恭喜gōng xǐcongratulations恭 = gōng
- 恭敬gōng jìngrespectful; deferential恭 = gōng
Go deeper
All readings
respectful
respectful; reverent; courteous
对人有礼貌，态度端正而谨慎。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 恭喜gōng xǐcongratulations恭 = gōng
- 恭敬gōng jìngrespectful; deferential恭 = gōng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 恭 mean?
恭 (gōng) means respectful; reverent; courteous.
How do you pronounce 恭?
It is pronounced gōng.
What parts is 恭 made of?
共 (together; in common) and ⺗ (heart (心) in its flattened bottom form), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：恭，肅也。从心共聲；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（共 6 画 + ⺗ 4 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 恭 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 恭?
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 恭?
Common ones are 恭喜 and 恭敬. The reading of 恭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.