號 (háo) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

號

háo[hao2]Tone 2

roar

HSK 1

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号

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · roar

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:5

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (口) compact and positioned slightly higher, leaving ample space for the right component (丂) to extend downward and rightward.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 號 by replacing the complex phonetic part 虎 with 丂, reducing total strokes and standardizing structure.

1. Meaning

roar, cry, howl

numberdatemark, signstore, business

verb / nounNeutral#sound#communication#numbers#business

Sample Usage

风呼呼地号叫。
Fēng hūhū de háojiào.
The wind is howling.
今天几号？
Jīntiān jǐ hào?
What date is today?

2. Sound

/[xaʊ̯³⁵]/Tone: 35

號

háohao2

´(35)

=háo

Initial Consonant

Type: Velar Fricative

Sounds like: h sound like in 'hat'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Gentle throat friction (like fogging glasses on a cold day).

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue is relaxed at the bottom of the mouth while air friction passes through the glottis.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: -ao rhymes with how

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

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

Tone

T2 (35)

3 → 5 (35)

2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 starts at a mid pitch and rises sharply to the top, exactly like a surprised question in English.

Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 3 syllable, it changes to a rising Tone 2.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the rising Tone 2 (háo) with the falling-rising Tone 3 (hǎo). Make sure the pitch goes straight up.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises like asking a question in English: 'Really?'

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 5 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (口) compact and positioned slightly higher, leaving ample space for the right component (丂) to extend downward and rightward.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 號 by replacing the complex phonetic part 虎 with 丂, reducing total strokes and standardizing structure.

4. Components

Radical 口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, opening, speech)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 口 (Indicates actions involving the mouth, such as roaring, crying, or shouting.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 丂 (original sound: háo)

A mouth (口) making a breath or sound (丂) loud enough to roar or cry out.

口 mouth
丂 phonetic clue for sound

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

2· Phonetic Root: 號 ()

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the mouth symbol (口) to represent vocal sounds and a phonetic element indicating the sound of howling or crying.

Semantic Evolution: Extended from making a loud vocal noise (roar/cry) to designating a distinguishing mark, a number called out, and eventually calendar dates.

In ancient times, it was primarily used to describe the howling of wind or animals and human weeping.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: GŌ / Kun: YOB.U / -GŌ

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

호

Sound Shift Bridge: The reading 'háo' connects to English 'howl' through sound symbolism for crying out.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Picture a person opening their mouth (口) wide to let out a huge 'HOWL!' (háo) that echoes across the mountains.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

号

háoroar, cryBase character

跨

kuàstride, stepUses foot radical instead of mouth

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

各(gè)

Each/every (各) has a top component that looks like a folded hand, whereas 号 has 口 at the left.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

今天___幾號？

Clue: jǐ

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the meaning of 'roar/cry' (háo) with its extremely common modern usage as 'number/date' (hào).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 号, what two very different categories of meaning come to mind?

Production: How do you write the character for 'roar' or 'date' (háo) in 5 strokes?

號háoroar

Speed:

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