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赫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
赫hèbright, radiant, glowingnr, 14 strokes, radical 赤, rank #6860, Hard
赫hèsurname Heunknown, 14 strokes, radical 赤, rank #6860, Hard
赫hèabbr. for Herz Hz 赫茲|赫兹[He4 zi1]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 赤, rank #6860, Hard
赫hèabbr. for herz hz 赫茲|赫兹[He4 zi1] (cycles per second)unknown, 14 strokes, radical 赤, rank #6860, Hard
hè(He4) T4
  1. 1bright, radiant, glowing
  2. 2abbr. for Herz Hz 赫茲|赫兹[He4 zi1]
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March 24, 2026
赫hè(He4)

The character 赫 (hè) primarily means bright, radiant, or glowing, often used to describe something that is strikingly vivid or brilliant. It can also be a surname in Chinese culture, and is used as an abbreviation for the term 'hertz,' a unit of frequency. The character conveys a sense of brightness and clarity, both in visual and metaphorical contexts.

Strokes14Radical赤Frequency#6860DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

The surname 赫 is not very common, but it is associated with notable figures in Chinese history. The character's meaning is often used in literature and poetry to describe the beauty of nature or the brilliance of a person's character.

Memory Tip

Imagine a bright, shining sun (赫) illuminating everything around it. The character has a radical that resembles a sun (日) sitting high above, radiating light, which can help you remember its meaning of brightness and glow. Think of 'He' as someone who brings brightness into your life.

Meanings of 赫

hè(He4)
1bright, radiant, glowing
2abbr. for Herz Hz 赫茲|赫兹[He4 zi1]
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 赫

赫Simplified
14Strokes
赤Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 赫

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Podcast: 赫

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AI Study Notes for 赫

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a bright, shining sun (赫) illuminating everything around it. The character has a radical that resembles a sun (日) sitting high above, radiating light, which can help you remember its meaning of brightness and glow. Think of 'He' as someone who brings brightness into your life.

Usage Notes

When using 赫 in writing, be careful not to confuse it with similar characters like 明 (míng), which also pertains to brightness but has a broader meaning. This character is more formal and is often seen in written contexts rather than in casual conversation. It is commonly used with other words related to brightness or clarity, such as 赫然 (hèrán), meaning suddenly or unexpectedly bright.

HSK Study Tips

While 赫 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can be useful to connect it with words like 明 (míng) and 光 (guāng), both of which relate to light and brightness. Focus on recognizing this character in texts that discuss science or technology, where you might encounter its abbreviation for hertz.

Cultural Note

The surname 赫 is not very common, but it is associated with notable figures in Chinese history. The character's meaning is often used in literature and poetry to describe the beauty of nature or the brilliance of a person's character.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 赫 with similar characters that also mean bright, such as 明. For example, saying '赫亮' instead of '明亮' (míngliàng) for bright can be incorrect. It's important to use 赫 in contexts where a striking brightness or brilliance is intended.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 赫

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Etymology of 赫

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

Blushing 赤 bright red 赤

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 赫?

Decomposition of 赫

IDS Structure⿰赤赤
赫Full Character
=
赤chi4
left
赤chi4
right
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 赫?

Write 赫

赫

Practice writing 赫 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 赫

赫 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

马____福兹先生讲述的故事过于宏大，主题有些混乱了。

The themes get tangled in Mr. Mahfouz's epic storytelling.

Example Sentences for 赫 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
马赫福兹先生讲述的故事过于宏大，主题有些混乱了。

mǎ hè fú zī xiān shēng jiǎng shù de gù shì guò yú hóng dà， ， zhǔ tí yǒu xiē hùn luàn。

The themes get tangled in Mr. Mahfouz's epic storytelling.
2
这是权力显赫的波城领主的故居。

zhè shì quán lì xiǎn hè de bō chéng lǐng zhǔ de gù jū。

It was the home of the powerful lords of Baux.
3
由于揭露此事，他被女神赫拉弄瞎了眼。

yóu yú jiē lòu cǐ shì， ， tā bèi nǚ shén hè lā nòng xiā le。

For this revelation he was struck blind by the goddess Hera.
4
赫特在从巴黎起飞的飞机上辗转反侧了几个小时。

hè tè zài cóng bā lí qǐ fēi de fēi jī shàng zhǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè le jī gè xiǎo shí。

Hurt had spent a restless few hours on the plane from Paris.
5
赫伯特叔叔从不与人争吵，也从不为自己辩护。

hè bó tè shū shū cóng bù yǔ rén zhēng chǎo， ， yě cóng bù wéi zì jǐ biàn。

Uncle Herbert never argued, never spoke up for himself.
6
赫尔·施密特无疑是我见过的最让人作呕的人。

hè ěr· · shī mì tè wú yí shì wǒ jiàn guò de zuì ràng rén zuò ǒu de。

Herr Schmidt is certainly the most odious man I have ever met.
7
斯旺森说服赫布利去做卧底以便将凶手抓获。

sī wàng sēn shuō fú hè bù lì qù zuò wò dǐ yǐ biàn jiāng xiōng shǒu zhuā huò。

Swanson persuaded Hubley to work undercover to capture the killer.
8
昨天，瑞士球迷在雅各布·赫拉塞克对阵库里耶的比赛中为赫拉塞克喝彩加油。

zuó tiān， ， ruì shì qiú mí zài yǎ gè· bù · hè lā sāi kè duì zhèn kù lǐ yé de bǐ sài zhōng wéi hè lā sāi kè hē cǎi。

Swiss fans cheered Jakob Hlasek during yesterday's match with Courier.
9
在赫伯特·怀斯曼的风琴伴奏下，我们演唱了布莱克的《耶路撒冷》作为终曲。

zài hè bó tè· · huái sī màn de fēng qín bàn zòu， xià ， wǒ mén yǎn chàng le bù lái《 kè de 《 yé》 lù sā lěng 》。

We ended with Blake's Jerusalem, accompanied on the organ by Herbert Wiseman.
10
明尼苏达维京人队签下了来自达拉斯牛仔队的赫舍尔·沃克。

míng ní sū dá wéi jīng rén duì qiān xià le lái zì dá lā sī niú zī duì de hè shě ěr· · wò。

The Minnesota Vikings signed Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys.

Cultural Notes for 赫

🏮Cultural insight

The surname 赫 is not very common, but it is associated with notable figures in Chinese history. The character's meaning is often used in literature and poetry to describe the beauty of nature or the brilliance of a person's character.

Word Family of 赫

Words Containing This Character18
赫hèawe-inspiring
赫尔Hull (name)赫爾
舒马赫Michael Schumacher (1969-), former German racing driver舒馬赫
赫鲁晓夫Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), secretary-general of Soviet Communist Party 1953-1964赫魯曉夫
赫然hèránwith a shock
显赫xiǎnhèillustrious顯赫
马赫Mach (name)馬赫
兆赫megahertz
巴赫Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), German composer
法塔赫Fatah, Palestinian organization
赫尔辛基Helsinki (Swedish Helsingfors), capital of Finland赫爾辛基
赫德Hart or Herd (name)
赫赫brilliant
尼赫鲁Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), Indian politician, first prime minister 1947-1964尼赫魯
谢赫Xie He (479-502), portrait painter from Qi of Southern dynasties 南齊謝赫
赫本Hepburn (name)
赫兹Hertz (name)赫茲
赫伯特Herbert (name)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 赫 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 赫

In everyday language, 赫 can refer to something that is bright or radiant, often used in more formal or literary contexts.