挂 (guà) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

挂

guà[gua4]Tone 4

to hang

HSK 3

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掛

Guru Deep Dive

English · to hang

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:9

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) occupies about one-third of the width, compressed vertically, while the right component (圭) takes the remaining two-thirds with balanced horizontal strokes.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 掛 by replacing the right-side phonetic element's complex parts or standardizing components, though both forms use the hand radical on the left.

1. Meaning

to hang, to suspend

to hang up the phoneto register at a hospitalto worry or be concernedslang for failing an exam or dying

VerbNeutral to colloquial#action#telephony#medical#colloquial slang

Sample Usage

把衣服挂在衣柜里。
Bǎ yīfu guà zài yīguì lǐ.
Hang the clothes in the wardrobe.
请不要挂电话。
Qǐng búyào guà diànhuà.
Please don't hang up the phone.

2. Sound

/[kwa⁵¹]/Tone: 51

挂

guàgua4

`(51)

=guà

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Velar

Sounds like: g sound as in 'go'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air (sounds like 'c' in Vietnamese 'cá' or 'k' in English 'skate').

Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue raises to touch the soft palate.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: -ua rhymes with 'wah'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'wah'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down, exactly like shouting 'No!' or giving a firm command in English.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the 4th tone drop with Tone 1 or Tone 3, or confusing the initial 'g-' with 'k-'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, definitive karate chop downwards from high to low, mirroring the drop of Tone 4.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 掛 by replacing the right-side phonetic element's complex parts or standardizing components, though both forms use the hand radical on the left.

4. Components

Radical 扌 · Hand Radical (Hand, action done with hands)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 扌 (Indicates an action performed by the hand (hanging something up).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 圭 (original sound: guī / guà)

A hand (扌) lifts and places a jade scepter or object (圭) onto a hook to hang it.

扌 Hand action
圭 Phonetic and structural component

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

24· Phonetic Root: 圭 (guī)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the hand radical (扌) representing the physical action of hanging and 圭 providing the sound and a reference to jade or ritual tablets held or hung up.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meaning to suspend or hang objects, it naturally expanded to hanging up telephone receivers, registering (getting a hospital hanging card), and modern slang uses.

In modern times, 'guà' became heavily associated with telephones because old rotary phones required hanging the receiver on a hook.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Your HAND (扌) grabs your phone or coat and GUArantees (guà) it gets HUNG UP on the hook securely.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

挂

guàto hangStandard character with hand radical.

桂

guìcinnamon / osmanthusUses tree radical (木) instead of hand (扌).

闺

guīboudoirEnclosed inside a door frame radical (门).

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

挂(guà)

Hand radical (扌) on the left for physical hanging actions.

桂(guì)

Tree radical (木) on the left for plants and trees like osmanthus.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

出门前，请把外套[___]在衣架上。

Clue: guà

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the 4th tone (guà) with 1st or 3rd tones, or mixing up the hand radical (扌) with the tree radical (木).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 挂, what action does it describe?

Production: How do you write the character for 'to hang' (guà) using a hand radical?

挂guàto hang

Speed:

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