偶 meaning and stroke order
Accidentally, coincidently; mate, image, idol
How to write 偶, stroke by stroke
11 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
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- 5
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- 11
Meaning of 偶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- accidental
- image
- pair
- mate
How 偶 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 禺 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 偶
偶 combines the person radical 亻 with 禺 (yú), which gives the sound. Picture a person-shaped figure, like a puppet or idol, and remember that figures often come in pairs.
偶 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and mostly appears in words like 偶尔 (ǒu'ěr, occasionally), 偶然 (ǒurán, by chance), 偶像 (ǒuxiàng, idol) and 配偶 (pèi'ǒu, spouse). Example: 我偶尔喝咖啡。(Wǒ ǒu'ěr hē kāfēi.) I drink coffee once in a while.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 偶 with 遇 (yù, to meet) and 愚 (yú, foolish), which share the 禺 part. Remember that 偶 has the person radical on the left and is read ǒu, third tone. Also note that 偶遇 (ǒuyù, to meet by chance) uses both characters together.
Common words with 偶
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 偶尔 | ǒu'ěr | occasionally; once in a while | HSK 5 |
| 偶然 | ǒurán | incidentally; occasional | HSK 5 |
| 偶像 | ǒuxiàng | idol | HSK 5 |
| 木偶 | mù'ǒu | puppet | HSK 7-9 |
| 配偶 | pèi'ǒu | spouse | HSK 7-9 |
| 玩偶 | wán'ǒu | toy figurine; action figure | |
| 人偶 | rén'ǒu | puppet; figure | |
| 偶遇 | ǒuyù | to meet by chance | |
| 求偶 | qiú'ǒu | to seek a marriage partner; (of an animal) to seek a mate; to court | |
| 布偶 | bù'ǒu | stuffed toy; rag doll | |
| 偶而 | ǒu'ér | occasionally; once in a while |
偶 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 偶
How many strokes are in 偶?
偶 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 偶 mean?
偶 (ǒu) means accidentally, coincidently; mate, image, idol. A common word with it is 偶尔 (ǒu'ěr), meaning "occasionally; once in a while".
How do you pronounce 偶?
偶 is pronounced ǒu, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 偶?
The radical of 偶 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 偶 under this radical.
Is 偶 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 偶 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 is the difference between 偶尔 and 偶然?
偶尔 (ǒu'ěr) is about frequency and means once in a while, like 有时候 but rarer. 偶然 (ǒurán) is about chance and means accidental or unexpected, as in 一个偶然的机会 (a chance opportunity).
Does 偶 always mean a pair or spouse?
No. It means pair or mate in words like 配偶 (spouse) and 偶数 (ǒushù, even number), but it means figure or image in 木偶 (puppet) and 偶像 (idol). The meaning depends on the word it appears in.