沟 meaning and stroke order
Ditch; gutter; groove
How to write 沟, 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 沟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ditch
- gutter
- groove
- gully
- ravine
How 沟 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 勾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沟
Water 氵 on the left tells you the meaning, and 勾 (gōu) on the right gives the sound. Picture water flowing along a hooked 勾 channel cut into the ground: a ditch.
On its own 沟 means a ditch, gutter, or groove, and it appears in words like 水沟 (shuǐgōu, gutter) and 排水沟 (páishuǐgōu, drainage ditch). Its most common use is in 沟通 (gōutōng), to communicate, which pictures a channel linking two sides. 我们需要多沟通。(Wǒmen xūyào duō gōutōng.) We need to communicate more.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 沟 with 构 (gòu, to construct), which has the wood radical 木 and a fourth tone. Remember that 沟 has water 氵 and a flat first tone, gōu.
Common words with 沟
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
沟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 沟
How many strokes are in 沟?
沟 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 沟 mean?
沟 (gōu) means ditch; gutter; groove. A common word with it is 沟通 (gōutōng), meaning "to join; to connect; to link up; to communicate".
How do you pronounce 沟?
沟 is pronounced gōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 沟?
The radical of 沟 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沟 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 沟?
The traditional form of 沟 is 溝. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 沟 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 沟 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 沟 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 沟通 and 交流?
沟通 (gōutōng) stresses getting through to someone and resolving misunderstandings. 交流 (jiāoliú) is more about exchanging ideas, experiences, or culture. In many everyday sentences either works, but 沟通 is preferred when talking about communication problems.
Does 沟 only mean a ditch for water?
No. It can also mean a groove or a gully in a landscape, such as a ravine between hills. It also appears in the idiom-like word 代沟 (dàigōu), the generation gap.