The character 土 — “earth”: how to write it and what it means
earth, soil
The Chinese character 土 is read tǔ and means “earth, soil”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 土
土 has 3 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 土, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 土 is made of
It appears in many characters about the ground: 地, 城, 坐. Don't confuse it with 士: in 土 the bottom stroke is longer.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 土
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 土?
土 has 3 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 土 mean?
土 means “earth, soil”. It appears in 土豆 (“potato”), 土地 (“land”), 土壤 (“soil”), 本土 (“homeland”).
How do you pronounce 土?
土 is read tǔ. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 土 have?
3 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 土 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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