吴 meaning and stroke order
One of several warring states; surname
How to write 吴, stroke by stroke
7 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
- 6
- 7
How 吴 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 吴
Picture a mouth 口 (kǒu) on top of the sky 天 (tiān): someone shouting loudly up to the heavens. Imagine a famous family named Wu who were known for their loud voices.
Today 吴 is used mostly as a common surname and in historical names, such as the ancient state of Wu and the Wu kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period. It also appears in 吴语 (Wúyǔ), the name for the Wu dialects spoken around Shanghai and Suzhou. Example: 我的老师姓吴。(Wǒ de lǎoshī xìng Wú.) My teacher's surname is Wu.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 吴 (wú) with 无 (wú, without) because they sound the same, but 吴 is only a name and never means 'not have'. Also note that the bottom part is 天, so write two horizontal strokes above the 人 shape, not one.
吴 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 吴
Learning 吴 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 吴
How many strokes are in 吴?
吴 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 吴 mean?
吴 (wú) means one of several warring states; surname.
How do you pronounce 吴?
吴 is pronounced wú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 吴?
The radical of 吴 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 吴 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 吴?
The traditional form of 吴 is 吳. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 吴 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 吴 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 吴 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 吴 the same as the surname 武 or 伍?
No. 武 (wǔ) and 伍 (wǔ) are different surnames with the third tone, while 吴 is second tone. In English all three are often spelled Wu, so ask which character someone uses.
What does 吴 mean in place names like 吴江 or 吴中?
These names come from the old Wu region around present-day Jiangsu and the Yangtze delta. In such names 吴 points to that historical area rather than having a separate meaning.