亏 meaning and stroke order
To lose (money); to have a deficit; to be deficient; to treat unfairly
How to write 亏, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 亏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lose (money); to have a deficit
- to be deficient
- to treat unfairly
- luckily; fortunately; thanks to
- (used to introduce an ironic remark about sb who has fallen short of expectations)
How 亏 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 二 (two), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 亏
亏 has 二 on top, two short lines, with a hooked stroke hanging below. Picture two coins on a table and a hook dragging one away, so you end up with less than you had.
亏 (kuī) most often means losing money or getting the short end of a deal, as in 亏本 (kuīběn) and 吃亏 (chīkuī). It also appears in 幸亏 (xìngkuī) and 多亏 (duōkuī) to mean "luckily" or "thanks to". Example: 幸亏你来了。(Xìngkuī nǐ lái le.) Luckily you came.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 亏 with 亐 or 于 (yú), which also start with two horizontal lines. 于 has a vertical hook going straight down, while 亏 ends in a bent stroke that turns and hooks.
Common words with 亏
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
亏 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 亏
Learning 亏 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 亏
How many strokes are in 亏?
亏 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 亏 mean?
亏 (kuī) means to lose (money); to have a deficit; to be deficient; to treat unfairly. A common word with it is 多亏 (duōkuī), meaning "thanks to; luckily".
How do you pronounce 亏?
亏 is pronounced kuī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 亏?
The radical of 亏 is 二, which carries the idea of "two". Dictionaries list 亏 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 亏?
The traditional form of 亏 is 虧. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 亏 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 亏 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 亏 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 吃亏 literally mean, and how is it used?
Literally it is "eat a loss". It means to be taken advantage of or to come out worse in a situation, for example 他老实，常常吃亏 (He is honest, so he often loses out).
How is 亏 used sarcastically?
亏 can introduce an ironic remark about someone who falls short, often with 还. For example, 亏你还是老师 means "And you call yourself a teacher".