从 cōng / cóng / zòng — lax; yielding; unhurried; from; obey; observe
他从早到晚都在工作。Tā cóng zǎo dào wǎn dōu zài gōng zuò.He works from morning to night.
Common words: 从小 (cóng xiǎo)、从来 (cóng lái)、自从 (zì cóng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "obey"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "obey", including 从 (cōng / cóng / zòng), 听 (tīng / tìng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "obey" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 从 (cōng / cóng / zòng), 听 (tīng / tìng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span cōng, cóng, zòng, tīng, tìng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 从 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 从 cōng / cóng / zònglax; yielding; unhurried; from; obey; observeUseful words: 从小, 从来
- 听 tīng / tìnglisten; hear; obey; let; allowUseful words: 听到, 听见
Common words for these 2 "obey" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 从 (cōng / cóng / zòng) — so "obey" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "obey".
听 tīng / tìng — listen; hear; obey; let; allow
我喜欢一边走路一边听音乐。Wǒ xǐ huan yì biān zǒu lù yì biān tīng yīn yuè.I like to listen to music while walking.
Common words: 听到 (tīng dào)、听见 (tīng jiàn)、好听 (hǎo tīng)
All 2 characters
Open 从、听 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.