涸 meaning and stroke order
Tired, exhausted; dried up
How to write 涸, stroke by stroke
11 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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- 11
Meaning of 涸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to dry
- to dry up
How 涸 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To run out 氵 of strength 固; 固 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 涸
The water radical 氵 sits beside 固 (gù, solid): when the water is gone, the riverbed turns hard and solid. The etymology hint pictures water running out of strength, and 固 also gives the sound.
涸 (hé) is a written, literary character that almost never stands alone in speech. You will mostly meet it in 干涸 (gānhé), used for rivers, lakes, wells, or figuratively for resources and ideas. Example: 这条河已经干涸了。(Zhè tiáo hé yǐjīng gānhé le.) This river has already dried up.
Common mistake: Learners often read 涸 as gù because of the 固 (gù) component, but the correct reading is hé with a second tone. It is also easy to confuse with 涸's look-alike 洄 (huí, whirling water), so check for 古 inside the box.
Common words with 涸
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 干涸 | gānhé | to dry up |
涸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 涸
How many strokes are in 涸?
涸 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 涸 mean?
涸 (hé) means tired, exhausted; dried up. A common word with it is 干涸 (gānhé), meaning "to dry up".
How do you pronounce 涸?
涸 is pronounced hé, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 涸?
The radical of 涸 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 涸 under this radical.
What does the idiom 涸辙之鲋 mean?
涸辙之鲋 (hé zhé zhī fù) literally means a fish stranded in a dried-up wheel rut. It describes someone in desperate need of immediate help.
Is 干涸 the same as 干燥?
No. 干燥 (gānzào) means dry in general, like dry air or skin. 干涸 (gānhé) means a body of water or a source has completely dried up.