hóng

Hóng (pinyin hóng) is a Chinese syllable that corresponds to several characters with different meanings. The most familiar is 红/紅, meaning the color red. This character appears in many words and expressions, such as 红色 (hóngsè, red), 红包 (hóngbāo, red envelope), and 红茶 (hóngchá, red tea). Red is culturally significant in China, symbolizing luck, celebration, and prosperity.

Other common characters pronounced hóng include 洪, 宏, and 弘. 洪 means “flood” or “vast” and is also a common surname. 宏 means “grand” or “vast” and occurs in words like 宏伟 (hóngwěi, magnificent) and 宏观 (hóngguān, macroscopic). 弘, meaning “to promote” or “vast,” appears in 弘扬 (hóngyáng, to propagate or carry forward) and in various given names. These characters are written differently and carry distinct meanings, but they share the standard Mandarin pronunciation hóng.

As a surname, Hong (洪, 弘, or occasionally 红) is used by people of Chinese descent; English spellings vary. The syllable is also common in place names, organizations, and cultural terms, often connected to auspicious, expansive, or grand connotations.

In linguistic use, hóng is a frequent second-tone syllable in Mandarin and appears in many compounds, proper nouns, and idioms. The specific meaning is determined by the character chosen, making hóng a versatile part of Chinese vocabulary.