哄 (hǒng): to coax; to cajole

Meanings

1 to coax; to cajole
2 to amuse (a child); to soothe
3 to deceive; to fool; to trick

Characters

哄

hǒng

to coax; to deceive

Examples

HSK 1

妈妈在哄孩子睡觉。

Māma zài hǒng háizi shuìjiào.

Mom is coaxing the child to sleep.

HSK 5

别哄我了，我知道真相。

Bié hǒng wǒ le, wǒ zhīdào zhēnxiàng.

Stop tricking me, I know the truth.

Tips

usage

Default reading hǒng covers two related senses that share the image of 'sweet-talking somebody into something': coaxing a child to sleep or to stop crying (哄孩子), and tricking somebody with smooth words (哄骗 to deceive). Same verb, friendly use vs. dishonest use depending on context.

register

Two other readings split off for noise / commotion senses. 哄 (first tone) is onomatopoeic - the roar of a crowd, peals of laughter, mass action: 哄堂大笑 (the whole room bursts out laughing), 一哄而上 (everyone rushes in at once). 哄 (fourth tone, historically written 鬨) is the rowdy 'uproar / brawl' word - locked to 起哄 (to heckle, to cause a disturbance). Three readings, three different sound shapes - match the context.

Components

radical

口 kǒu

mouth

Left mouth radical, the indexing component (Kangxi #30). Marks 哄 as a vocal-action character: coaxing, deceiving, making noise, soothing with words. The mouth does the talking; the right side supplies the manner. Same radical: 叫 (call), 唱 (sing), 哭 (cry), 喊 (shout).

phonetic

共 gòng

together; common

Right-side 共 supplies the sound: gòng shifts to hǒng with a velar/glottal drift. Beyond sound, 共 (together) hints at the meaning - coaxing or fooling someone is a verbal act done with another person. Same phonetic: 拱 (cup hands), 供 (supply).