挂
to hang; to hang up (phone)
HSK level
- Pinyin
- guà
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 4
- Strokes
- 9
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 挂
挂 is written with 9 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 挂 mean?
挂 (guà) is a Chinese verb whose core meaning is 'to hang' or 'to suspend' something from a hook, nail, or line (把画挂在墙上 hang the picture on the wall).
From there it extends to several common uses: 挂电话 means 'to hang up the phone,' 挂号 means 'to register' (at a hospital or post office), and 挂念 / 挂心 means 'to be concerned about someone.' In student slang, 挂科 (guà kē) means 'to fail a course.' It is register-neutral.
English speakers should note that 'hang up the phone' uses 挂 directly (挂电话 or just 挂了), and that 挂 for hanging always implies suspension from above — for hanging laundry to dry Chinese often prefers 晾 (liàng). As a colloquialism, 挂了 can even mean 'died / it's over.'
Example sentences
请把外套挂在门后。
Qǐng bǎ wàitào guà zài mén hòu.
Please hang your coat behind the door.
spoken
他说完就把电话挂了。
Tā shuō wán jiù bǎ diànhuà guà le.
He hung up as soon as he finished speaking.
spoken
去医院看病要先挂号。
Qù yīyuàn kànbìng yào xiān guàhào.
You need to register first when seeing a doctor at the hospital.
neutral
墙上挂着一幅很大的地图。
Qiáng shàng guà zhe yì fú hěn dà de dìtú.
A large map is hanging on the wall.
neutral
Common phrases with 挂
Synonyms
悬 is a more literary 'to hang / suspend in mid-air' (悬崖 cliff, 悬挂). 挂 is the everyday spoken word for hanging things on hooks. Use 悬 in formal or figurative contexts (悬而未决 left hanging/unresolved).
晾 specifically means 'to hang out to dry / air' (晾衣服 dry clothes). 挂 is general hanging. For laundry drying, native speakers say 晾, not 挂.
Don't confuse 挂 with
刮 (guā) means 'to scrape' or '(of wind) to blow' (刮风 the wind blows). It looks similar to 挂 and shares the sound family, but has a different radical (刂 knife) and unrelated meaning.
FAQ
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