土 meaning and stroke order
Earth; dust; clay
How to write 土, 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 土
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- earth
- dust
- clay
- local
- indigenous
- crude opium
How 土 is built
Pictographic character. A lump of clay on a potter's wheel.
How to remember 土
土 (tǔ) is a picture of a lump of clay sitting on a potter's wheel. Think of the cross 十 as a sprout or a mound rising from the long ground line 一 at the bottom.
土 appears in many words about land and soil, such as 土地 (tǔdì) and 泥土 (nítǔ). In casual speech it also means "local" or "unfashionable, rustic". Example: 他穿得有点土。(Tā chuān de yǒudiǎn tǔ.) He dresses a bit unfashionably.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 土 (tǔ) with 士 (shì, scholar). In 土 the bottom line is longer, while in 士 the top line is longer.
Common words with 土
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 土地 | tǔdì | land; soil | HSK 4 |
| 土豆 | tǔdòu | potato; (Tw) peanut (CL:顆|颗[ke1]) | HSK 5 |
| 本土 | běntǔ | one's native country; native | HSK 6 |
| 领土 | lǐngtǔ | territory | HSK 7-9 |
| 国土 | guótǔ | country's territory; national land | HSK 7-9 |
| 泥土 | nítǔ | earth; soil; mud; clay | HSK 7-9 |
| 土壤 | tǔrǎng | soil | HSK 7-9 |
| 混凝土 | hùnníngtǔ | concrete (building material) | HSK 7-9 |
| 土匪 | tǔfěi | bandit | HSK 7-9 |
| 土生土长 | tǔshēng-tǔzhǎng | (idiom) (of people) born and raised in the locality; (of art forms, political parties, ent | HSK 7-9 |
| 出土 | chūtǔ | to dig up; to appear in an excavation | HSK 7-9 |
| 尘土 | chéntǔ | dust | |
| 老土 | lǎotǔ | old-fashioned; unstylish | |
| 土著 | tǔzhù | aboriginal |
土 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 土
Learning 土 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 土
How many strokes are in 土?
土 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 土 mean?
土 (tǔ) means earth; dust; clay. A common word with it is 土地 (tǔdì), meaning "land; soil".
How do you pronounce 土?
土 is pronounced tǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 土 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 土 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Does 土豆 mean potato or peanut?
In mainland China 土豆 (tǔdòu) means potato. In Taiwan it usually means peanut, and potato is called 马铃薯 (mǎlíngshǔ).
Is calling something 土 an insult?
It can be. Describing a person or style as 土 means old-fashioned or tacky, so it is mildly teasing or critical. Words like 本土 (běntǔ) and 土地 (tǔdì) are neutral.