毆 meaning and stroke order
To hit, to beat, to fight with fists
How to write 毆, stroke by stroke
15 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 毆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to beat up
- to hit sb
How 毆 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Weapon.
殳 gives the meaning and 區 hints at the sound.
Radical: 殳 (tool), shared by 16 characters on this site.
How to remember 毆
毆 is 區 (qū) on the left giving the sound, and 殳 (shū) on the right, a component linked to weapons and striking. Picture a hand swinging a club at someone in a small area 區 to remember "to beat up."
毆 is mostly used in compound words rather than alone, especially in news, legal, and formal writing about violence. The simplified form is 殴. Example: 他被人殴打了。(Tā bèi rén ōudǎ le.) He was beaten up by someone.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 毆 (ōu) with 歐 (ōu, Europe), which has the same sound and left part but 欠 on the right instead of 殳. Remember that 殳 means hitting and 欠 appears in 歐洲 (Ōuzhōu).
Common words with 毆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 毆
How many strokes are in 毆?
毆 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 毆 mean?
毆 (ōu) means to hit, to beat, to fight with fists. A common word with it is 殴打 (ōudǎ), meaning "to beat up; to come to blows".
How do you pronounce 毆?
毆 is pronounced ōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 毆?
The radical of 毆 is 殳, which carries the idea of "tool". Dictionaries list 毆 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 毆?
毆 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 殴, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 殴 by itself to mean "hit" in everyday speech?
Not usually. In casual speech people say 打 (dǎ). 殴 sounds formal and appears in set words like 殴打 and 斗殴.
What is the difference between 殴打 and 斗殴?
殴打 (ōudǎ) usually describes one side beating another, often a victim. 斗殴 (dòu'ōu) means a mutual fight or brawl where both sides take part, as in 打架斗殴 (dǎjià dòu'ōu).