渎 meaning and stroke order
Ditch, sluice, gutter, drain
How to write 渎, 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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Meaning of 渎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- disrespectful
- (literary) ditch
How 渎 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 卖 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 渎
The water radical 氵 points to the old meaning of a ditch or drain, and 卖 (mài) gives the sound. Picture someone selling (卖) dirty ditch water, which is a disrespectful thing to do, and you have both senses of 渎 (dú).
Today 渎 mostly appears in formal words about disrespect or abuse of duty, while the meaning "ditch" is literary. The most common word is 亵渎 (xièdú), to profane or desecrate. Example: 这是对神圣的亵渎。(Zhè shì duì shénshèng de xièdú.) This is a desecration of something sacred.
Common mistake: Learners often read 渎 as mài because of the 卖 part, but it is pronounced dú with a second tone. Also do not confuse it with 读 (dú, to read), which has the speech radical 讠 instead of water 氵.
Common words with 渎
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 亵渎 | xièdú | (literary) to blaspheme; to desecrate; to profane |
渎 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 渎
How many strokes are in 渎?
渎 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 渎 mean?
渎 (dú) means ditch, sluice, gutter, drain. A common word with it is 亵渎 (xièdú), meaning "(literary) to blaspheme; to desecrate; to profane".
How do you pronounce 渎?
渎 is pronounced dú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 渎?
The radical of 渎 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 渎 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 渎?
The traditional form of 渎 is 瀆. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 渎 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 渎职 mean?
渎职 (dúzhí) means dereliction of duty, especially when an official neglects or abuses their position. It is common in legal and news language.
Is 渎 used on its own in modern Chinese?
Rarely. It usually appears inside set words like 亵渎 (xièdú) or 渎职 (dúzhí). Using it alone to mean "ditch" sounds classical.