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薶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
薶máisto bury; to dirty, to soilx, 18 strokes, radical 艹
薶máito make dirtyunknown, 18 strokes, radical 艹
薶máiold variant of 埋[mai2]unknown, 18 strokes, radical 艹
薶wōsto bury; to dirty, to soilx, 18 strokes, radical 艹
薶wōto make dirtyunknown, 18 strokes, radical 艹
薶wōold variant of 埋[mai2]unknown, 18 strokes, radical 艹
mái(mai2)
primary
T2
  1. 1sto bury; to dirty, to soil
  2. 2to make dirty
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

薶mái(mai2)

The character 薶 (mái) primarily refers to the act of burying something or causing it to become dirty or soiled. It can be used in contexts relating to physical dirtiness or metaphorically, such as tarnishing someone's reputation. Note that this character is an older variant of 埋 (mái), which is more commonly used today.

Strokes18Radical艹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of burying is often tied to ancestral reverence, where the burial of ancestors is a significant practice during festivals like Qingming Festival, making the act of 'burying' culturally meaningful.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pile of muddy leaves (the radical 艹 suggests plants) that you accidentally stepped on, making your shoes dirty. 'Mái' sounds like 'my,' so think of it as 'my shoes are muddy' after stepping on the buried leaves.

Meanings of 薶

mái(mai2)
primary
1sto bury; to dirty, to soil
2to make dirty
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 薶

薶Simplified
18Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 薶

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Podcast: 薶

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AI Study Notes for 薶

Usage Notes

Due to its rarity, 薶 may not be widely recognized in everyday conversation. Be cautious of using it in formal writing, as 埋 is the preferred term. Remember that the pronunciation is similar to 埋, which may confuse learners.

HSK Study Tips

Though 薶 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to the HSK Level 2 word 埋. Learners should focus on the more commonly used variants and their usage in everyday contexts, helping to reinforce understanding of related words.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 薶 with 埋 due to their similar meanings and pronunciations. For instance, using 薶 in a sentence intended for 埋, such as '我想埋这个东西' (I want to bury this thing), would be incorrect; use 埋 instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 薶

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Etymology of 薶

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A fox 貍 burying something in the grass 艹

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 薶

  1. 1The giveawayA fox 貍 burying something in the grass 艹
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 薶? 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 薶?

Decomposition of 薶

IDS Structure⿱艹貍
薶Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
貍li2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 薶?

How to say sto bury; to dirty, to soil in Chinese

“sto bury; to dirty, to soil” in Chinese is薶mái

The character 薶 (mái) primarily refers to the act of burying something or causing it to become dirty or soiled. It can be used in contexts relating to physical dirtiness or metaphorically, such as tarnishing someone's reputation. Note that this character is an older variant of 埋 (mái), which is more commonly used today.

When to use 薶

Due to its rarity, 薶 may not be widely recognized in everyday conversation. Be cautious of using it in formal writing, as 埋 is the preferred term. Remember that the pronunciation is similar to 埋, which may confuse learners.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 薶 with 埋 due to their similar meanings and pronunciations. For instance, using 薶 in a sentence intended for 埋, such as '我想埋这个东西' (I want to bury this thing), would be incorrect; use 埋 instead.

Write 薶

薶

Practice writing 薶 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 薶

Words Containing This Character1
薶máito soil
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 薶 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 薶

No, 薶 is considered an old variant and is rarely used today; the standard term is 埋.

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