候
Character learning workspace

hòu · to wait, to expect

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

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Learn every stroke in 候

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 候 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

10Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

亻Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 候 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 候

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

houWords pronounced hou
hòuWords pronounced hòu
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 候 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ bú zài de shí hòu yǒu méi yǒu rén lái?我不在的时候有没有人来?

Did anyone come in my absence?

Source: Tatoeba #402916 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā kàn dào wǒ de shí hòu hé wǒ shuō huà.他看到我的时候和我说话。

He spoke to me when he saw me.

Source: Tatoeba #9961544 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ gēn nǐ shuō huà de shí hòu kàn zhe wǒ!我跟你说话的时候看着我!

Look at me when I talk to you!

Source: Tatoeba #501595 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ lái de shí hòu wǒ gāng hǎo yào zǒu.你来的时候我刚好要走。

I was about to leave when you came in.

Source: Tatoeba #8463544 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ chū mén de shí hòu, nǐ lái le.我出门的时候,你来了。

You arrived at the moment I left.

Source: Tatoeba #346741 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè zhēn shì wǒ men gāi zǒu de shí hòu le.这真是我们该走的时候了。

It is really time for us to go.

Source: Tatoeba #5691302 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 候 in context

  1. Say hòu, then recall the core meaning: to wait, to expect.
  2. Write all 10 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 时候 (shí hou), meaning “time”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 候 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.