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瘐 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瘐yǔcold, hungry; to mistreat a prisonerx, 13 strokes, radical 疒
瘐yǔto maltreat (as prisoners)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒
yǔ(yu3) T3
  1. 1cold, hungry; to mistreat a prisoner
  2. 2to maltreat (as prisoners)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瘐yǔ(yu3)

The character 瘐 (yǔ) conveys the meanings of being cold and hungry, often used in contexts that describe the suffering of mistreated individuals, especially prisoners. It carries a sense of harshness and neglect, implying a lack of care or compassion towards someone in a vulnerable state.

Strokes13Radical疒
Cultural Note

In Chinese history, the treatment of prisoners has often been a reflection of societal values, with characters like 瘐 depicting the harsh realities of punishment and neglect in ancient times.

Memory Tip

Imagine a prisoner feeling cold and hungry, shivering in a dark cell. The character 瘐 looks like a person trapped (囗) in a cold place (the bottom part resembles a floor), emphasizing their dire condition. The pronunciation 'yǔ' can be remembered as a 'you' who is in a miserable situation.

Meanings of 瘐

yǔ(yu3)
1cold, hungry; to mistreat a prisoner
2to maltreat (as prisoners)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瘐

瘐Simplified
13Strokes
疒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瘐

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Podcast: 瘐

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AI Study Notes for 瘐

Usage Notes

This word is rarely used in daily conversation and is more likely to appear in literary or historical texts. Be cautious with its formal tone; it may not be appropriate for casual discussions. Common collocations include phrases related to imprisonment or suffering.

HSK Study Tips

Although 瘐 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, understanding it can deepen your grasp of more complex characters related to suffering and mistreatment. Focus on recognizing its components to relate it to other characters with similar themes.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瘐 with similar characters that convey different types of suffering or mistreatment. For example, using 瘐 instead of 残 (cán), meaning 'to injure' or 'to damage,' can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瘐

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Etymology of 瘐

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

sickness

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瘐

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half臾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 瘐? 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 瘐?

Decomposition of 瘐

IDS Structure⿸疒臾
瘐Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
臾Yu2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瘐?

How to say cold, hungry; to mistreat a prisoner in Chinese

“cold, hungry; to mistreat a prisoner” in Chinese is瘐yǔ

The character 瘐 (yǔ) conveys the meanings of being cold and hungry, often used in contexts that describe the suffering of mistreated individuals, especially prisoners. It carries a sense of harshness and neglect, implying a lack of care or compassion towards someone in a vulnerable state.

When to use 瘐

This word is rarely used in daily conversation and is more likely to appear in literary or historical texts. Be cautious with its formal tone; it may not be appropriate for casual discussions. Common collocations include phrases related to imprisonment or suffering.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瘐 with similar characters that convey different types of suffering or mistreatment. For example, using 瘐 instead of 残 (cán), meaning 'to injure' or 'to damage,' can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 瘐

瘐

Practice writing 瘐 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 瘐

Words Containing This Character1
瘐yǔto maltreat (as prisoners)
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 瘐 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瘐

It is pronounced as 'yǔ'.

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