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哄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
哄hōngroar of laughter (onom.)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōnghubbubHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngto roar (as a crowd)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngto deceiveHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngto coaxHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngto amuse (a child)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngtumultHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōnguproarHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngcommotionHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngdisturbanceHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hōngto coax; to beguile, to cheat, to deceive; tumult, uproarHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngroar of laughter (onom.)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒnghubbubHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngto roar (as a crowd)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngto deceiveHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngto coaxHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngto amuse (a child)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngtumultHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒnguproarHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngcommotionHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngdisturbanceHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hǒngto coax; to beguile, to cheat, to deceive; tumult, uproarHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngroar of laughter (onom.)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hònghubbubHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngto roar (as a crowd)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngto deceiveHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngto coaxHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngto amuse (a child)HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngtumultHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hònguproarHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngcommotionHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngdisturbanceHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
哄hòngto coax; to beguile, to cheat, to deceive; tumult, uproarHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #5418, Very Hard
hǒng(hong3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1roar of laughter (onom.)
  2. 2hubbub
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

哄hǒng(hong3)

The character 哄 (hōng) primarily means to coax or amuse, especially in contexts involving children. It can also refer to a loud uproar or commotion, often associated with laughter or disturbance in a crowd. The usage can range from playful coaxing to more negative connotations of deception.

Strokes9Radical口Frequency#5418DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of 哄 (hōng) children is often seen as a vital skill for parents and caregivers, emphasizing the importance of nurturing and playful interaction in child-rearing practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine a crowd of children laughing uproariously. The sound they make, 'hōng', resembles the noise of their giggles and the chaos around them. Visualize a parent coaxing a child with playful antics, making them laugh even louder, just like the uproar of a joyful gathering.

Meanings of 哄

hǒng(hong3)
primary
1roar of laughter (onom.)
2hubbub
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 哄

哄Simplified
9Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#5418Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 哄

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Podcast: 哄

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AI Study Notes for 哄

Quick Contrast

哄 (hǒng) vs 逗 (dòu) — use 哄 when referring to coaxing or amusing, especially with children, while 逗 emphasizes teasing or playfully provoking.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone, as 'hōng' can refer to both coaxing and uproar, which may lead to confusion. It's typically used in informal settings, especially when discussing interactions with children or lively situations. Common collocations include '哄孩子' (hōng háizi - to coax a child) and '哄笑' (hōng xiào - to roar with laughter).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 6 word, 哄 connects with other words related to emotions and actions such as 笑 (xiào - to laugh) and 哭 (kū - to cry). Focus on understanding its dual meanings of coaxing and uproar, and practice using it in different contexts for better retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 哄 with 鬨 (hòng), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我哄骗他' (wǒ hǒng piàn tā) instead of '我哄他' (wǒ hōng tā) when intending to say 'I coax him' can change the meaning to 'I deceive him'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 哄

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Etymology of 哄

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 共 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鬨.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)共
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 哄

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 共 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鬨.

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half共 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 哄? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 哄?

Decomposition of 哄

IDS Structure⿰口共
哄Full Character
=
口kou3
left
共gong4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 哄?

How to say roar of laughter (onom.) in Chinese

“roar of laughter (onom.)” in Chinese is哄hōng

The character 哄 (hōng) primarily means to coax or amuse, especially in contexts involving children. It can also refer to a loud uproar or commotion, often associated with laughter or disturbance in a crowd. The usage can range from playful coaxing to more negative connotations of deception.

When to use 哄

Be cautious with the tone, as 'hōng' can refer to both coaxing and uproar, which may lead to confusion. It's typically used in informal settings, especially when discussing interactions with children or lively situations. Common collocations include '哄孩子' (hōng háizi - to coax a child) and '哄笑' (hōng xiào - to roar with laughter).

哄 or something close to it

哄 (hǒng) vs 逗 (dòu) — use 哄 when referring to coaxing or amusing, especially with children, while 逗 emphasizes teasing or playfully provoking.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 哄 with 鬨 (hòng), leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我哄骗他' (wǒ hǒng piàn tā) instead of '我哄他' (wǒ hōng tā) when intending to say 'I coax him' can change the meaning to 'I deceive him'.

Write 哄

哄

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 哄

哄 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 11 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

一小群小青年没走，在起____、叫骂。

A small group of youths stayed behind to heckle and shout abuse.

Example Sentences for 哄 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
一小群小青年没走，在起哄、叫骂。

yī xiǎo qún xiǎo qīng nián méi zǒu， ， zài qǐ、 hōng 、。

A small group of youths stayed behind to heckle and shout abuse.
2
这个星期国会里一直乱哄哄的，让人心烦。

zhè gè xīng qī guó huì lǐ yī zhí luàn hōng hōng de， ， ràng rén xīn。

It's all been very noisy and bothersome in Parliament this week.
3
“那闹哄哄的究竟是在做什么？”她问道。“是流行音乐节，”他回答说。

“ “ nà nào hōng hōng de jiū jìng shì zài zuò shí？” mó ？” tā。“ wèn dào 。“ shì liú háng，” yīn lè jié ，”。

"Whatever is that row?" she demanded. "Pop festival," he answered.
4
她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。

tā hōng zháo nà pǐ mǎ ràng tā zài kào jìn le yī diǎn。

She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer.
5
情歌哄骗我们去相信有勇救美人的英雄。

qíng gē hōng piàn wǒ mén qù xiāng xìn yǒu yǒng jiù měi rén de yīng xióng。

Love songs trick us into believing in knights in shining armor.
6
我的笑话引来哄堂大笑，这使我深受鼓舞，继续往下讲。

wǒ de xiào huà yǐn lái hōng táng dà xiào， ， zhè shǐ wǒ shēn shòu gǔ， wǔ ， jì xù wǎng。

The joke got a big laugh, which encouraged me to continue.
7
克罗斯决定用上点乞求和哄骗。

kè luó sī jué dìng yòng shàng diǎn qǐ qiú hé hōng piàn。

Cross decided to beg and wheedle a bit.
8
吃过午饭，她照看着博比，听他说话，哄他说说自己的事。

chī guò wǔ fàn， ， tā zhào kàn zháo bó， bǐ ， tīng tā， shuō huà ， hōng tā shuō shuō zì。

After lunch, she watched, listened and coaxed Bobby into talking about himself.
9
他连哄带骗地设法进了办公楼。

tā lián hōng dài piàn dì shè fǎ jìn le bàn gōng lóu。

He managed to wheedle his way into the offices.
10
“为什么你不试着读一下前面第21页呢？”，我一边哄劝一边又坐下。

“ “ wéi shí mó nǐ bù shì zháo dú yī xià qián miàn21 dì 21？”， yè ne ？”， wǒ yī biān hōng quàn yī biān。

"Why don't you try to read on past page 21," I wheedled and sat down again.

Word Family of 哄

Words Containing This Character17
哄hǒnghubbub
起哄qǐhòngto heckle起鬨
哄抬to artificially inflate
哄骗to deceive哄騙
哄抢looting哄搶
乱哄哄in an uproar亂哄哄
哄堂大笑hōngtángdàxiàothe whole room roaring with laughter (idiom)
哄笑guffaw
闹哄哄clamorous鬧哄哄
一哄而起(of a group of people) to rush into action
一哄而散to disperse in confusion (idiom)
哄然boisterous
哄动commotion哄動
欺哄to dupe
哄劝to coax哄勸
瞒哄to deceive瞞哄
蒙哄to deceive
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 哄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 哄

While 哄 (hōng) primarily means to coax or amuse, 哄骗 (hōng piàn) means to deceive or trick someone. The latter has a more negative connotation.

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