HanziGuru.哄 · hǒng
哄
hǒng[hong3]Tone 3

to coax, to deceive, to amuse

HSK 7
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · to coax, to deceive, to amuse

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:9
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (口 mouth) is compact and positioned in the upper-left quadrant, while the right component (共) is wider, occupying the remaining space with balanced horizontal lines.
1. Meaning

to coax or pacify, typically children or people upset, using gentle persuasion or mild deception

to fool or deceive someoneto amuse or entertain a child
VerbColloquial#communication#emotion#social interaction
Sample Usage
  • 妈妈正在哄孩子睡觉。
    mā ma zhèng zài hǒng hái zi shuì jiào.
    Mom is coaxing the child to go to sleep.
  • 别听他胡说，他在哄你呢！
    bié tīng tā hú shuō, tā zài hǒng nǐ ne!
    Don't listen to his nonsense, he's just fooling you!
2. Sound
/[xʊŋ²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
哄
hǒnghong3
++
ˇ(214)
=hǒng
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
hong
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
h
Type: Velar Fricative
Sounds like: h sound as in 'house'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Gentle throat friction (like fogging glasses on a cold day).
Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue approaches the soft palate, creating a gentle friction without blocking airflow.
Final Rhyme
ong
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: -ong rhymes with rung
Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'h-' (h) with final '-ong' (oong).
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips down like a disappointed sigh before picking back up in pitch.
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 3 syllable, hǒng changes to a Tone 2 (35) rising pitch.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the dipping Tone 3 (hǒng) with Tone 4 (hòng, meaning clamor or uproar), which drops sharply from high to low.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down from your chest and curve back up to chin height.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (口 mouth) is compact and positioned in the upper-left quadrant, while the right component (共) is wider, occupying the remaining space with balanced horizontal lines.

4. Components

Radical 口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, speaking, vocal sounds)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 口 (Indicates that the action involves using the mouth (speaking, coaxing, or making soothing noises).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 共 (original sound: gòng / hǒng)

A person uses their mouth (口) together with everyone (共) or in a shared space to sweet-talk, coax, or trick someone.

  • 口 Mouth component representing speech and sound
  • 共 Phonetic component providing the 'hong' sound
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the mouth radical (口) representing vocalization and the phonetic element (共) which provides the pronunciation. Originally used to describe buzzing sounds or clamor, it evolved to mean sweet-talking, coaxing, or deceiving someone with words.

Semantic Evolution: From general vocal noise or clamor to the specific act of using gentle words to amuse a child or pacify someone.

  • The character's pronunciation family shares roots with other characters containing 共 such as 拱 and 烘.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

To COAX (hǒng) a crying baby, you use your MOUTH (口) to sing songs TOGETHER (共) with them until they smile.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
共
gòngcommon, together, to sharePhonetic Core (声旁)
恭
gōngrespectful+ ⺗ (heart)
拱
gǒngto cup hands, to arch+ 扌 (hand)
烘
hōngto bake, to heat by fire, to set off by contrast+ 火 (fire)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
哄(hòng)
Same character, but Tone 4 (hòng) means a loud uproar or hubbub, whereas Tone 3 (hǒng) means to coax or trick gently.
洪(hóng)
Has the water radical (氵) instead of the mouth radical (口), meaning flood.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
妹妹哭了，妈妈快来[___]她睡觉。
Clue: hǒng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone and using Tone 4 (hòng - uproar) when trying to express coaxing or soothing someone (hǒng - Tone 3).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 哄 with Tone 3 (hǒng), what two primary social actions does it describe?
Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to coax or deceive', and what is its Pinyin with tone?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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