The character 污 — “dirt”: how to write it and what it means

污
wū

dirt; stain, soil

6 strokes · HSK 4

The Chinese character 污 is read wū and means “dirt; stain, 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 污

污 has 6 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 污, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 污 is made of

On the left, 氵 “water”: dirty water.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 污

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 污?

污 has 6 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 污 mean?

污 means “dirt; stain, soil”. It appears in 污染 (“pollute”), 污水 (“wastewater”).

How do you pronounce 污?

污 is read wū. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 污 have?

6 strokes.

← 土 earth染 dye →

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 污 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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