枯 meaning and stroke order
Dried out, withered, decayed
How to write 枯, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 枯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (of plants) withered
- (of wells, rivers etc) dried up
- (bound form) dull; boring
- (bound form) residue of pressed oilseeds
How 枯 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An old 古 tree 木; 古 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 枯
Picture a tree 木 (mù) that is very old 古 (gǔ). After many years it dries out and withers, so 枯 (kū) means withered. The 古 part also hints at the sound, gǔ to kū.
枯 (kū) describes plants that have dried up, and wells or rivers that have run dry. It also appears in 枯燥 (kūzào), meaning dull or boring. Example: 这本书很枯燥。(Zhè běn shū hěn kūzào.) This book is very dull.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 枯 (kū) with 姑 (gū, aunt) or 估 (gū, to estimate), which share the 古 part but have a different radical and tone. Check for the tree 木 on the left and use the first tone, kū.
Common words with 枯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
枯 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 枯
How many strokes are in 枯?
枯 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 枯 mean?
枯 (kū) means dried out, withered, decayed. A common word with it is 枯燥 (kūzào), meaning "dry and dull; uninteresting; tedious".
How do you pronounce 枯?
枯 is pronounced kū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 枯?
The radical of 枯 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 枯 under this radical.
Is 枯 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 枯 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 枯萎 and 干枯?
枯萎 (kūwěi) focuses on the process of wilting, like flowers drooping. 干枯 (gānkū) describes the dried-out, shriveled state, and can also describe skin, hair, or a riverbed.
Can 枯 be used for things other than plants?
Yes. 枯竭 (kūjié) describes resources, energy, or ideas that are used up, such as 资源枯竭 (zīyuán kūjié), resources running out. 枯燥 (kūzào) describes boring work or writing.