欧 meaning and stroke order
Europe, ohm; surname
How to write 欧, stroke by stroke
8 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 欧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ohm (abbr. for 歐姆|欧姆[ou1 mu3])
- euro (abbr. for 歐元|欧元[ou1 yuan2])
- used in transliteration
- old variant of 謳|讴[ou1]
How 欧 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 欠 (to lack), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 欧
On the left is 区 (qū, area or district), and on the right is 欠 (qiàn), a person with an open mouth. Picture a whole region of people opening their mouths to speak many languages, and you have Europe, 欧 (ōu).
欧 rarely stands alone. It appears in words like 欧洲 (Ōuzhōu, Europe), 欧元 (ōuyuán, euro) and 欧姆 (ōumǔ, ohm), and it is also used to write foreign sounds. Example: 这个包一百欧元。(Zhège bāo yìbǎi ōuyuán.) This bag costs one hundred euros.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 欧 (ōu) with 殴 (ōu, to beat up), because both have 区 on the left. The right side of 欧 is 欠, while 殴 has 殳, which is linked to hitting.
Common words with 欧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 欧元 | ōuyuán | euro (currency) |
欧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 欧
How many strokes are in 欧?
欧 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 欧 mean?
欧 (ōu) means Europe, ohm; surname. A common word with it is 欧元 (ōuyuán), meaning "euro (currency)".
How do you pronounce 欧?
欧 is pronounced ōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 欧?
The radical of 欧 is 欠, which carries the idea of "to lack". Dictionaries list 欧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 欧?
The traditional form of 欧 is 歐. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 欧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 欧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 欧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say Europe and European in Chinese?
Europe is 欧洲 (Ōuzhōu). European as an adjective is usually 欧洲的 (Ōuzhōu de), and the European Union is 欧盟 (Ōuméng).
Is 欧 a common surname?
欧 (Ōu) is a real surname, but it is not very common. You will more often see the two-character surname 欧阳 (Ōuyáng), as in the Song dynasty writer 欧阳修 (Ōuyáng Xiū).