胜 (shèng) is a Chinese character meaning “to win”. It is written from 月 (moon; month) and 生 (to be born; to grow; raw; life), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to win; victory”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
月 + 生
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（月 4 画 + 生 5 画 = 9 画）
Memory aid
Both parts are really here: 生 (to grow, to be alive) standing to the right of 月. Picture a team that keeps growing stronger month (月) after month until it finally wins — 胜. Note: the left part is the flesh form of 月, so this is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 胜利shèng lìvictory; to win; to triumph胜 = shèng
- 胜负shèng fùvictory or defeat; the outcome of a contest胜 = shèng
- 胜仗shèng zhànga victorious battle; a win in war胜 = shèng
Go deeper
All readings
to win; victory
to win; to defeat; victory; to surpass; superb (of scenery)
在竞赛或斗争中赢过对方；也指超过、优美的（风景）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 胜利shèng lìvictory; to win; to triumph胜 = shèng
- 胜负shèng fùvictory or defeat; the outcome of a contest胜 = shèng
- 胜仗shèng zhànga victorious battle; a win in war胜 = shèng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 胜 mean?
胜 (shèng) means to win; to defeat; victory; to surpass; superb (of scenery).
How do you pronounce 胜?
It is pronounced shèng.
What parts is 胜 made of?
月 (moon; month) and 生 (to be born; to grow; raw; life), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（月 4 画 + 生 5 画 = 9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 胜 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 胜?
月. 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 胜?
Common ones are 胜利 and 胜负. The reading of 胜 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.