Where 周 comes from
Border 冂 around land 土 with a well 口
How to write 周 (zhōu, “to make a circuit”)
周 (zhōu), an HSK 2 character, means “to make a circuit”, “to circle” and “circle”. It is a character whose parts combine into its meaning. On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 周末 (“weekend”), 周围 (“environs”) and 周年 (“anniversary”). Japanese reads it shuu, “circumference”, as a JLPT N2 kanji.
- Pinyin
- zhōu
- Strokes
- 8
- HSK
- 2
- Radical
- 口 (“mouth”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
As an open-bottom frame character it splits into 冂 (“wide”), strokes 1–2; 土口, strokes 3–8, written the frame first.
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕centerrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottomrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 8 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| zhōu first tone | to make a circuit; to circle; circle; circumference; lap | — | 周末 周围 周年 四周 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 2
- 2021 standard
- level 2
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 3 word
- Words with it
- 87 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 周
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 周 | zhōu | to make a circuit; to circle HSK 2 |
| 周末 週末 | zhōumò | weekend HSK 3 |
| 周围 周圍 | zhōuwéi | environs; surroundings HSK 4 |
| 周年 週年 | zhōunián | anniversary; annual HSK 5 |
| 四周 | sìzhōu | all around HSK 5 |
| 周到 | zhōudào | thoughtful; considerate HSK 6 |
| 周期 週期 | zhōuqī | period; cycle HSK 6 |
| 周边 周邊 | zhōubiān | periphery; rim HSK 6 |
| 众所周知 眾所周知 | zhòngsuǒzhōuzhī | (idiom) as everyone knows HSK 6 |
| 周岁 週歲 | zhōusuì | one full year HSK 7-9 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.
Keep going
HSK 2, in list order: