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窳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
窳yǔdirty; weak, useless; cracked, flawedzg, 15 strokes, radical 穴
窳yǔbadunknown, 15 strokes, radical 穴
yǔ(yu3) T3
  1. 1dirty; weak, useless; cracked, flawed
  2. 2bad
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March 24, 2026

窳yǔ(yu3)

The character 窳 (yǔ) typically describes something that is dirty, weak, or flawed. It can refer to physical items that are cracked or in poor condition, as well as metaphorically describing someone or something that is ineffective or useless in a particular context.

Strokes15Radical穴
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, cleanliness and functionality are highly valued, making the concept of 'dirty' or 'useless' particularly significant. This character might be used to describe items that are not up to standard, reflecting the importance of quality in daily life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dirty, cracked window (the radical 窗 is related) that lets in weak sunlight. This image connects the idea of flaw and weakness to the pronunciation 'yǔ', as you might say 'yuck' when seeing something dirty.

Meanings of 窳

yǔ(yu3)
1dirty; weak, useless; cracked, flawed
2bad
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 窳

窳Simplified
15Strokes
穴Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 窳

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Podcast: 窳

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AI Study Notes for 窳

Quick Contrast

窳 (yǔ) vs 劣 (liè) — use 窳 for physical flaws or dirtiness, while 劣 is more about inferiority in quality or standard.

Usage Notes

This character is often used in negative contexts, so be cautious with its use in formal situations. Common collocations include 窳水 (dirty water) and 窳物 (useless items), which emphasize the negative qualities. Watch out for tonal mistakes, as the third tone can easily be mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

While 窳 is not at a specific HSK level, it can be useful for learners focusing on vocabulary related to descriptions of objects and qualities. Students should connect it with other descriptive adjectives to expand their expressive abilities.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 窳 with similar-sounding characters like 语 (yǔ), which means 'language'. For example, saying '我觉得这个东西是语' instead of '我觉得这个东西是窳' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 窳

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Etymology of 窳

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

cave

Semantic (meaning)穴
+
Phonetic (sound)㼌
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

窳 = 穴 + 㼌. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 窳

IDS Structure⿱穴㼌
窳Full Character
=
穴xue2
top
㼌yu3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 窳?

How to say dirty; weak, useless; cracked, flawed in Chinese

“dirty; weak, useless; cracked, flawed” in Chinese is窳yǔ

The character 窳 (yǔ) typically describes something that is dirty, weak, or flawed. It can refer to physical items that are cracked or in poor condition, as well as metaphorically describing someone or something that is ineffective or useless in a particular context.

When to use 窳

This character is often used in negative contexts, so be cautious with its use in formal situations. Common collocations include 窳水 (dirty water) and 窳物 (useless items), which emphasize the negative qualities. Watch out for tonal mistakes, as the third tone can easily be mispronounced.

窳 or something close to it

窳 (yǔ) vs 劣 (liè) — use 窳 for physical flaws or dirtiness, while 劣 is more about inferiority in quality or standard.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 窳 with similar-sounding characters like 语 (yǔ), which means 'language'. For example, saying '我觉得这个东西是语' instead of '我觉得这个东西是窳' is incorrect.

Write 窳

窳

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

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Word Family of 窳

Words Containing This Character1
窳yǔbad

Frequently Asked Questions about 窳

Synonyms include 脏 (zāng) for dirty and 无用 (wúyòng) for useless.

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