窟 meaning and stroke order
Hole, cave; cellar; underground
How to write 窟, stroke by stroke
13 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 窟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- cave
- hole
How 窟 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cave.
穴 gives the meaning and 屈 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 窟
The top part 穴 (xué) means cave or hole, and the bottom 屈 (qū) gives the sound and pictures someone bending down. Imagine having to crouch to squeeze into a cave 窟 (kū).
窟 (kū) rarely stands alone in speech. It appears in words like 窟窿 (kūlong, hole), 洞窟 (dòngkū, cave), and 贫民窟 (pínmínkū, slum). Example: 袜子破了一个窟窿。(Wàzi pò le yí ge kūlong.) There is a hole in my sock.
Common mistake: Learners often read 窟 as qū because of the phonetic part 屈 (qū), but the correct reading is kū with a first tone. Also, in 窟窿 the second syllable is usually neutral tone, kūlong, not kūlóng.
Common words with 窟
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
窟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 窟
How many strokes are in 窟?
窟 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 窟 mean?
窟 (kū) means hole, cave; cellar; underground. A common word with it is 窟窿 (kūlong), meaning "hole; pocket".
How do you pronounce 窟?
窟 is pronounced kū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 窟?
The radical of 窟 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 窟 under this radical.
Is 窟 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 窟 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 窟 and 洞?
洞 (dòng) is the everyday word for any hole or cave. 窟 (kū) is more formal or literary and usually appears inside compounds like 洞窟 or 石窟 (shíkū, grotto).
Can 窟窿 have a figurative meaning?
Yes. Besides a physical hole, 窟窿 can mean a financial gap or a loophole, as in 补窟窿 (bǔ kūlong), to cover a deficit.