涂 meaning and stroke order
To apply (paint etc); to smear; to daub
How to write 涂, stroke by stroke
10 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 涂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to apply (paint etc)
- to smear
- to daub
- to blot out
- to scribble
- to scrawl
How 涂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 余 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 涂
涂 is built from water 氵 plus 余 (yú), which gives the sound. Picture spreading something wet with your hand, like paint or mud, and you have the idea of smearing or daubing.
涂 means to apply a liquid or paste to a surface, such as paint, lotion, or lipstick, and also to scribble or blot something out. It appears in very common words like 糊涂 (hútu, muddled) and 涂料 (túliào, paint). Example: 她在面包上涂了果酱。(Tā zài miànbāo shàng tú le guǒjiàng.) She spread jam on the bread.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 涂 with 途 (tú, road, as in 路途 lùtú), which sounds the same and shares 余 but uses the walking radical 辶 instead of water 氵. Also note that in 糊涂 (hútu) the second syllable is usually read in the neutral tone.
Common words with 涂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 糊涂 | hútu | muddled; silly | HSK 7-9 |
| 一塌糊涂 | yītāhútú | muddled and completely collapsing (idiom); in an awful condition; complete shambles | HSK 7-9 |
| 涂鸦 | túyā | graffiti; scrawl | |
| 涂料 | túliào | paint | |
| 一败涂地 | yībàitúdì | lit. defeated, the ground blanketed with bodies (idiom); fig. to suffer a crushing defeat | |
| 老糊涂 | lǎohútu | dotard |
涂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 涂
Learning 涂 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 涂
How many strokes are in 涂?
涂 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 涂 mean?
涂 (tú) means to apply (paint etc); to smear; to daub. A common word with it is 糊涂 (hútu), meaning "muddled; silly".
How do you pronounce 涂?
涂 is pronounced tú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 涂?
The radical of 涂 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 涂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 涂?
The traditional form of 涂 is 塗. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 涂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 涂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 涂 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say to put on lipstick or sunscreen in Chinese?
Use 涂 with the item as the object. 涂口红 (tú kǒuhóng) means to put on lipstick, and 涂防晒霜 (tú fángshàishuāng) means to apply sunscreen.
What is the difference between 涂 and 画?
画 (huà) means to draw or paint a picture with intent. 涂 focuses on smearing or covering a surface, or on messy scribbling, as in 涂鸦 (túyā, graffiti).