钟 (zhōng): clock, bell
钟 (zhōng) is a Chinese character meaning “clock, bell.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 钅 (semantic) and 中 (phonetic). It ranks #905 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 钟 metal. Its radical form 钅 (metal) appears in many related characters such as 钱 (qián, money), 错 (cuò, wrong, mistake), 铁 (tiě, iron).
Definitions
- clock, bell
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 钟 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 钟
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 分钟measure | fēn zhōng | minute | 1 |
| 钟头noun | zhōng tóu | (coll.) hour | 6 |
| 闹钟noun | nào zhōng | alarm clock | 5 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一见钟情 | yī jiàn zhōng qíng | to fall in love at first sight (idiom) |
| 时钟 | shí zhōng | clock |
| 钟爱 | zhōng ài | to treasure |
| 钟楼 | zhōng lóu | bell tower |
| 警钟 | jǐng zhōng | alarm bell |
| 钟情 | zhōng qíng | to fall in love |
| 钟表 | zhōng biǎo | clock |
| 情有独钟 | qíng yǒu dú zhōng | to have a special fondness (for sth) |
| 钟点 | zhōng diǎn | hour |
| 钟摆 | zhōng bǎi | pendulum |
| 钟点工 | zhōng diǎn gōng | hourly worker |
| 秒钟 | miǎo zhōng | (time) second |
| 生物钟 | shēng wù zhōng | biological clock |
| 丧钟 | sāng zhōng | knell |
| 挂钟 | guà zhōng | wall clock |
钟 appears in 84 compound words: 39 as the first character, 50 as the last, and 11 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 钟 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (8)
to have special affection for (a person or a thing); to have a soft spot for
Example Sentences
会议将在十分钟后开始，请大家抓紧时间入座。
Huìyì jiāng zài shí fēnzhōng hòu kāishǐ, qǐng dàjiā zhuājǐn shíjiān rùzuò.
The meeting will start in ten minutes; please take your seats promptly.
968所学校列第7级残旧!校舍安全再敲警钟
9 6 8 suǒ xué jiào liè dì 7 jí cán jiù ! jiào shě ān quán zài qiāo jǐng zhōng
968 schools are listed as Grade 7 dilapidated! School building safety sounded the alarm again
郑丽文撞钟诡异抖动!命理师惊揭“是他显灵”要警告关...
zhèng lí wén zhuàng zhōng guǐ yì dǒu dòng ! mìng lǐ shī jīng jiē shì tā xiǎn líng yāo jǐng gào guān . . .
Zheng Liwen rang the bell and shook strangely! The numerologist revealed that "it was he who appeared" to warn Guan...
2000户社区寻亲难 大安警10分钟助洋童与爸妈团圆
2 0 0 0 hù shè qū xún qīn nán dà ān jǐng 1 0 fēn zhōng zhù yáng tóng yǔ bà mā tuán yuán
It is difficult for 2,000 households to find relatives in the community, and the Da'an police helped foreign children reunite with their parents in 10 minutes
钟柔美陷“A0”风波网民批人设崩坏欠公信力...
zhōng róu měi xiàn A 0 fēng bō wǎng mín pī rén shè bēng huài qiàn gōng xìn lì . . .
Zhong Roumei was caught in the "A0" turmoil, and netizens criticized the collapse of the character design and lacked credibility...
15分钟到现场,武水集团洪山营业所除夕火速修补井...
fēn zhōng dào xiàn chǎng , wǔ shuǐ jí tuán hóng shān yíng yè suǒ chú xī huǒ sù xiū bǔ jǐng . . .
15 minutes to the scene, Wushui Group Hongshan business office on New Year's Eve fire repair well...
能不能请你等几分钟？
Néng bù néng qǐng nǐděng jǐ fēnzhōng?
Would you please wait for a few minutes?
您愿意听我说几分钟话吗？
Nín yuànyì tīng wǒ shuō jǐ fēnzhōng huà ma?
Will you listen to me for a few minutes?
这班火车几点钟开？
Zhè bān huǒchē jǐ diǎn zhōng kāi?
What time does the train leave from here?
你对她是不是一见钟情？
Nǐ duì tā shìbùshì yījiànzhōngqíng?
Did you fall in love with her at first sight?
Character Family
钅 Radical Family — Characters sharing the metal radical
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 钟 (zhōng) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 钟 and 虫?
How many strokes does 钟 have?
What is the radical of 钟?
What are the components of 钟?
What are common words containing 钟?
What characters sound the same as 钟 (zhōng)?
Is 钟 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 钟 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.