污 meaning and stroke order
Filthy, dirty; polluted, impure
How to write 污, stroke by stroke
6 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
Meaning of 污
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dirty
- filthy
- foul
- corrupt
- to smear
- to defile
How 污 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 亏 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 污
污 is pictophonetic: the water radical 氵 gives the meaning and 亏 (kuī) hints at the sound. Picture water that has gone bad, a loss (亏) of clean water, and you get dirty, polluted water.
污 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in compounds like 污染 (wūrǎn, to pollute), 污水 (wūshuǐ, sewage) and 贪污 (tānwū, corruption). Example: 这条河被污染了。(Zhè tiáo hé bèi wūrǎn le.) This river has been polluted.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 于 or 亐 incorrectly, or confuse 污 with 汗 (hàn, sweat), which has 干 on the right. Also remember the tone is first tone wū, not wǔ.
Common words with 污
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 污染 | wūrǎn | (lit. and fig.) to pollute; to contaminate | HSK 5 |
| 污水 | wūshuǐ | sewage | HSK 5 |
| 污秽 | wūhuì | (literary) dirty; filthy; (literary) dirt; filth | HSK 7-9 |
| 贪污 | tānwū | to be corrupt; corruption | HSK 7-9 |
| 玷污 | diànwū | to stain; to sully | |
| 污点 | wūdiǎn | stain; taint | |
| 污垢 | wūgòu | dirt; filth; grime | |
| 污渍 | wūzì | stain | |
| 污蔑 | wūmiè | to slander; to smear | |
| 污辱 | wūrǔ | to humiliate; to insult | |
| 污染物 | wūrǎnwù | pollutant | |
| 同流合污 | tóngliúhéwū | to wallow in the mire with sb (idiom); to follow the bad example of others |
污 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 污
How many strokes are in 污?
污 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 污 mean?
污 (wū) means filthy, dirty; polluted, impure. A common word with it is 污染 (wūrǎn), meaning "(lit. and fig.) to pollute; to contaminate".
How do you pronounce 污?
污 is pronounced wū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 污?
The radical of 污 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 污 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 污?
The traditional form of 污 is 汙 and 汚. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 污 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 污 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 污 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 污 and 脏 (zāng)?
脏 is the everyday word for dirty, as in 衣服很脏 (yīfu hěn zāng, the clothes are dirty). 污 is more formal and usually appears in compounds about pollution, stains or moral corruption.
Why do young Chinese people say something is 污?
In internet slang, 污 (or 很污) describes jokes or comments that are dirty-minded or suggestive. It is casual and playful, so avoid it in formal settings.