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寤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
寤wùfew, scarce; empty, desertedzg, 14 strokes, radical 宀
寤wùto awake from sleepunknown, 14 strokes, radical 宀
wù(wu4) T4
  1. 1few, scarce; empty, deserted
  2. 2to awake from sleep
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March 24, 2026

寤wù(wu4)

The character 寤 (wù) primarily means to awaken from sleep, often used in literary contexts. It can also convey the idea of scarcity or emptiness, describing places or situations that are deserted or lacking in something. This usage is more formal and less common in everyday conversation.

Strokes14Radical宀
Cultural Note

The concept of waking from sleep can be tied to traditional Chinese poetry, where awakening often symbolizes enlightenment or realization. Many poems reflect on the transition from sleep to awareness, illustrating deeper philosophical themes.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person waking up in an empty room (寤) where there is nothing around—this helps connect the idea of awakening and emptiness. The character's components, with the 'sleep' radical (宀) on top, reinforce the meaning of awakening from sleep.

Meanings of 寤

wù(wu4)
1few, scarce; empty, deserted
2to awake from sleep
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 寤

寤Simplified
14Strokes
宀Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 寤

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Podcast: 寤

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AI Study Notes for 寤

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 寤 with 醒 (xǐng), which also means to awaken but is more commonly used in everyday language. 寤 is more literary and may not be familiar to all speakers, so it is better suited for formal or poetic contexts. Pay attention to the tone when pronouncing wù, as mispronunciation can lead to confusion with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Since 寤 is not part of HSK vocabulary, focus on its literary usage and try to connect it with other vocabulary involving sleep (like 眠 mián) or solitude (like 独 dú). This will enhance comprehension of related themes in Chinese literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 寤 with its similar-sounding counterpart 醒. For example, saying '我昨天晚上寤得很晚' (I awoke very late last night) is incorrect; it should be '我昨天晚上醒得很晚'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 寤

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Etymology of 寤

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

roof

Semantic (meaning)宀
+
Phonetic (sound)吾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 寤

  1. 1The meaning half宀 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half吾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayroof
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 寤? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 寤?

Decomposition of 寤

IDS Structure⿱宀⿰爿吾
寤Full Character
=
宀gai4
top
爿qiang2
left
吾Wu2
right
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 寤?

How to say few, scarce; empty, deserted in Chinese

“few, scarce; empty, deserted” in Chinese is寤wù

The character 寤 (wù) primarily means to awaken from sleep, often used in literary contexts. It can also convey the idea of scarcity or emptiness, describing places or situations that are deserted or lacking in something. This usage is more formal and less common in everyday conversation.

When to use 寤

Learners often confuse 寤 with 醒 (xǐng), which also means to awaken but is more commonly used in everyday language. 寤 is more literary and may not be familiar to all speakers, so it is better suited for formal or poetic contexts. Pay attention to the tone when pronouncing wù, as mispronunciation can lead to confusion with other similar-sounding words.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 寤 with its similar-sounding counterpart 醒. For example, saying '我昨天晚上寤得很晚' (I awoke very late last night) is incorrect; it should be '我昨天晚上醒得很晚'.

Write 寤

寤

Practice writing 寤 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 寤

Words Containing This Character2
寤wùto awake from sleep
寤寐at any time
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 寤 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 寤

No, it's more frequently found in literary or formal contexts.

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