窝 meaning and stroke order
Nest; pit or hollow on the human body; lair
How to write 窝, stroke by stroke
12 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 窝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- nest
- pit or hollow on the human body
- lair
- den
- place
- to harbor or shelter
How 窝 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cave.
穴 gives the meaning and 呙 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 窝
The top part 穴 (xué) means cave, so 窝 is a hollow place to hide in. The bottom part 呙 (guō/wāi) gives the sound, so think of an animal curled up under a cave roof saying "wō".
窝 often means a nest or den for animals, as in 狗窝 (gǒuwō, doghouse) and 蜂窝 (fēngwō, honeycomb). It also describes small hollows, like 酒窝 (jiǔwō, dimple), and works as a measure word for a litter of animals. Example: 我家的猫生了一窝小猫。(Wǒ jiā de māo shēng le yì wō xiǎo māo.) Our cat had a litter of kittens.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the top as 宀 instead of 穴. 窝 needs the two extra strokes under the roof. Also, the common word 窝囊 (wōnang) has a neutral tone on the second syllable, not náng.
Common words with 窝
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 窝囊废 | wōnangfèi | (coll.) spineless coward; wimp | |
| 酒窝 | jiǔwō | dimple (on the cheek when smiling) | |
| 狗窝 | gǒuwō | doghouse; kennel | |
| 蜂窝 | fēngwō | honeycomb; beehive | |
| 窝囊 | wōnang | to feel vexed; annoyed | |
| 被窝 | bèiwō | (traditional bedding) quilt wrapped around the body as a tube; (contemporary) bedding; bed | |
| 窝藏 | wōcáng | to harbor; to shelter | |
| 安乐窝 | ānlèwō | comfortable niche |
窝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 窝
How many strokes are in 窝?
窝 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 窝 mean?
窝 (wō) means nest; pit or hollow on the human body; lair. A common word with it is 窝囊废 (wōnangfèi), meaning "(coll.) spineless coward; wimp".
How do you pronounce 窝?
窝 is pronounced wō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 窝?
The radical of 窝 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 窝 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 窝?
The traditional form of 窝 is 窩. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 窝 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 窝 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 窝 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 被窝 mean in everyday speech?
被窝 (bèiwō) is the warm space inside your quilt when you are in bed. People say 不想离开被窝 (bù xiǎng líkāi bèiwō) to mean they do not want to get out of bed.
Does 窝 have a negative meaning when used with verbs?
It can. 窝藏 (wōcáng) means to harbor or hide something illegal, such as criminals or stolen goods. 窝囊 (wōnang) describes feeling frustrated or being spineless.