巫 meaning and stroke order
Wizard, sorcerer, witch, shaman
How to write 巫, 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
Meaning of 巫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- witch
- wizard
- shaman
- also pr. [wu2]
How 巫 is built
Pictographic character. A cross-shaped divining rod.
Radical: 工 (labor), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 巫
Picture the frame 工 as a cross-shaped divining rod, with two people 从 standing inside it. Two people dancing around a sacred rod are the shamans of 巫 (wū).
巫 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese and usually appears in words like 巫师 (wūshī, wizard), 女巫 (nǚwū, witch), and 巫术 (wūshù, witchcraft). It is common in fantasy stories, folklore, and talk about traditional healers. Example: 她在故事里是一个女巫。(Tā zài gùshi lǐ shì yí gè nǚwū.) She is a witch in the story.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 巫 (wū) with 坐 (zuò, to sit), which also has two 人 shapes. In 巫 the people sit inside the 工 frame between its top and bottom lines, while in 坐 they sit on top of 土.
Common words with 巫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
巫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 巫
Learning 巫 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 巫
How many strokes are in 巫?
巫 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 巫 mean?
巫 (wū) means wizard, sorcerer, witch, shaman. A common word with it is 巫婆 (wūpó), meaning "witch; sorceress".
How do you pronounce 巫?
巫 is pronounced wū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 巫?
The radical of 巫 is 工, which carries the idea of "labor". Dictionaries list 巫 under this radical.
Is 巫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 巫 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 巫婆 and 女巫?
Both mean witch. 巫婆 (wūpó) often sounds older and more negative, like an old hag in folk tales. 女巫 (nǚwū) is more neutral and is the usual word for witches in Western fantasy, such as in Harry Potter translations.
Is 巫 pronounced wū or wú?
The standard pronunciation is first tone, wū. Some dictionaries note wú as an alternate reading, but wū is what you should learn and use.