Chinese Character: 号
1. Character Basics
Radical: 口/kǒu (mouth)
Stroke Count: 5 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hào (Fourth tone) or Háo (Second tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning (Hào): Number; symbol; mark; title; size
Basic Meaning (Háo): To howl; to roar; to wail
Extended Meaning: Name; nickname; signal; number; account
Additional Meaning: Used to indicate numbers, titles, or various cries/sounds
4. Common Words
- 号码 (hào mǎ) - Number; phone number
请告诉我你的电话号码。(Qǐng gào su wǒ nǐ de diàn huà hào mǎ.) - Please tell me your phone number.
- 号啕大哭 (háo táo dà kū) - To wail loudly
她听到这个消息后号啕大哭。(Tā tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi hòu háo táo dà kū.) - She wailed loudly after hearing the news.
- 号称 (hào chēng) - To claim; to be known as
这座山号称"天下第一山"。(Zhè zuò shān hào chēng "tiān xià dì yī shān".) - This mountain is known as "the number one mountain under heaven".
- 号召 (hào zhào) - To call; to appeal
政府号召大家保护环境。(Zhèng fǔ hào zhào dà jiā bǎo hù huán jìng.) - The government calls on everyone to protect the environment.
- 账号 (zhàng hào) - Account
我需要创建一个新账号。(Wǒ xū yào chuàng jiàn yī gè xīn zhàng hào.) - I need to create a new account.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Noun (hào), verb (hào/háo)
Usage: As a noun, refers to numbers, marks, or titles; as a verb (háo), describes crying or howling loudly
Common Structures: 号+名词 (号码 - number), 动词+号 (挂号 - register), 号+动 (号召 - call on)
Notes: "号" is a common character with multiple meanings and pronunciations; context is important for determining its meaning
6. Cultural Background
The character "号" has significant cultural importance in Chinese society, particularly in relation to naming conventions and numbering systems.
In traditional Chinese culture, people often had a "号" (hào) as a courtesy name or artistic pseudonym, in addition to their given name.
The character is also used in various traditional practices, such as fortune-telling with "八字" (bā zì - eight characters) based on birth date and time.
In modern times, "号" is widely used in digital contexts, including phone numbers, account numbers, and social media handles.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1 (Hào):
我的房间号是305。(Wǒ de fáng jiān hào shì 305.) - My room number is 305.
Example 2 (Hào):
他给自己取了一个艺名。(Tā gěi zì jǐ qǔ le yī gè yì hào.) - He gave himself an artistic name.
Example 3 (Háo):
寒风在山谷中号叫。(Hán fēng zài shān gǔ zhōng háo jiào.) - The cold wind howled in the valley.
8. Memory Tips
Structure Memory: "号" consists of "口" (kǒu - mouth) and a horizontal stroke. Imagine someone making a loud sound (howling) with their mouth open.
Association Memory: Connect "号" with common terms like "号码" (number), "账号" (account), and "号召" (call on) to build associations.
Tone Memory: Remember that "号" has two tones: fourth tone (hào) for numbers/titles and second tone (háo) for howling/crying.
Cultural Memory: Recall that in traditional Chinese culture, people often had a "号" as an artistic pseudonym or courtesy name.
Context Memory: Pay attention to the context to determine which pronunciation and meaning of "号" is being used.