挂 (guà) is a Chinese character meaning “to hang”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 圭 (jade ceremonial tablet), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to hang”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 圭
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰扌圭；笔画核验 扌3 + 圭6 = 9）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) reaching up to a jade tablet (圭) on the wall — the hand hangs it there.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 挂号guà hàoto register (at a hospital); to send by registered mail挂 = guà
- 挂念guà niànto miss; to be concerned about (someone)挂 = guà
- 悬挂xuán guàto hang; to suspend (e.g. a flag, a picture)挂 = guà
Go deeper
All readings
to hang
to hang; to hang up (a phone); to register (at a hospital); to be concerned about
把东西悬在高处；结束通话；到医院等处登记；心里惦记。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 挂号guà hàoto register (at a hospital); to send by registered mail挂 = guà
- 挂念guà niànto miss; to be concerned about (someone)挂 = guà
- 悬挂xuán guàto hang; to suspend (e.g. a flag, a picture)挂 = guà
Sound component
圭 family rime near
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 挂 mean?
挂 (guà) means to hang; to hang up (a phone); to register (at a hospital); to be concerned about.
How do you pronounce 挂?
It is pronounced guà.
What parts is 挂 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 圭 (jade ceremonial tablet), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰扌圭；笔画核验 扌3 + 圭6 = 9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 挂 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 挂?
扌. 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 挂?
Common ones are 挂号 and 挂念. The reading of 挂 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.