凹 meaning and stroke order
Concave; depressed; sunken; indented; female (connector etc)
How to write 凹, stroke by stroke
5 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
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 凹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- concave; depressed; sunken; indented; female (connector etc)
- variant of 窪|洼[wa1]
- (used in names)
How 凹 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A rectangle with a hollow.
Radical: 凵 (container), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 凹
凹 (āo) is a picture of its meaning: a block with a notch cut down into the top, like a rectangle with a hollow in it. Look at the dip in the middle and think "sunken in."
凹 describes surfaces that curve or dip inward, and it often appears with its opposite 凸 (tū, convex) in words like 凹凸不平 (āotū bù píng, bumpy and uneven). Example: 车门上有一个凹痕。(Chē mén shàng yǒu yí gè āohén.) There is a dent in the car door.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 凹 (āo, sunken) and 凸 (tū, sticking out). Remember that 凹 has the dip in the top middle, while 凸 has a bump rising up in the middle.
Common words with 凹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 凹痕 | āohén | dent; indentation |
Questions about 凹
How many strokes are in 凹?
凹 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 凹 mean?
凹 (āo) means concave; depressed; sunken; indented; female (connector etc). A common word with it is 凹痕 (āohén), meaning "dent; indentation".
How do you pronounce 凹?
凹 is pronounced āo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 凹?
The radical of 凹 is 凵, which carries the idea of "container". Dictionaries list 凹 under this radical.
Is 凹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 凹 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 凹 ever pronounced wā?
Yes. 凹 can be read wā as a variant of 洼 (wā, low-lying land), and it also appears this way in some place names. In everyday words like 凹痕 (āohén), the reading is āo.
What does 凹 mean when talking about plugs or connectors?
凹 can mean the female part of a connector, the side with the hole. The male side that sticks out is described with 凸 (tū).