How to write 钟 (zhōng, “a bell”)

钟 (zhōng), an HSK 1 character, means “a bell”, “clock” and “amount of time”. It is HSK 1 in the 2025 syllabus, down from level 2 in the 2021 standard. The traditional form is 鐘, 20 strokes instead of 9. On its own it is an HSK 7-9 word; it also forms 分钟 (“minute”), 闹钟 (“alarm clock”) and 钟头 (“hour”). Japanese keeps the traditional 鐘, read shou (“bell”).

Pinyin: zhōng
Strokes: 9
HSK: 1
Radical: 钅 (“metal”)
Traditional: 鐘

Stroke by stroke

As a left-right character it splits into 钅 (“metal”, the radical), strokes 1–5; 中 (“within”), strokes 6–9, written the left part first.

top leftdown and left
top leftrightwards
leftrightwards
leftrightwards
leftdownwards → up and right
topdownwards
toprightwards → downwards
centerrightwards
topdownwards

Names of the strokes

Traditional form

Simplified: 钟 · 9 strokes
Traditional: 鐘 · 20 strokes · see its strokes

Simplified vs traditional

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

Pinyin	Meanings	Traditional	In words
zhōng first tone	a (large) bell; clock; amount of time; o'clock (as in 三点钟 (sāndiǎnzhōng) "three o'clock" or "three hours" or 五分钟 (wǔfēnzhōng) "five minutes" etc); handleless cup; goblet; (bound form) to concentrate (one's affection etc)	鐘	分钟闹钟钟头警钟

HSK 2025 syllabus: level 1
2021 standard: level 2
HSK 2.0: in a level 1 word
Words with it: 63 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 钟

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
钟鐘	zhōng	a (large) bell; clock HSK 7-9
分钟分鐘	fēnzhōng	minute HSK 1
闹钟鬧鐘	nàozhōng	alarm clock HSK 5
钟头鐘頭	zhōngtóu	hour HSK 6
警钟警鐘	jǐngzhōng	alarm bell HSK 7-9
上钟上鐘	shàngzhōng	to clock in for work
时钟時鐘	shízhōng	clock
点钟點鐘	diǎnzhōng	(indicating time of day) o'clock
钟点鐘點	zhōngdiǎn	hour; specified time
钟爱鍾愛	zhōngài	to treasure; to be very fond of

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

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Keep going

HSK 1, in list order: