耗 meaning and stroke order
To waste; to spend; to consume
How to write 耗, 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 耗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to waste
- to spend
- to consume
- to squander
- news
- (coll.) to delay
How 耗 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plow.
耒 gives the meaning and 毛 hints at the sound.
Radical: 耒 (plow), shared by 18 characters on this site.
How to remember 耗
耗 combines 耒 (lěi, a plow) on the left with 毛 (máo, hair, which hints at the sound) on the right. Picture plowing a field until the plow is worn down to bare hairs: all that work uses things up.
耗 is mostly used in compounds about using up time, energy or resources, such as 消耗 (xiāohào), 耗费 (hàofèi) and 能耗 (nénghào). It often carries a sense of loss or waste. Example: 这个项目很耗时间。(Zhège xiàngmù hěn hào shíjiān.) This project takes a lot of time.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 耗 with 毫 (háo, a tiny amount), since both relate to 毛 in sound. Remember that 耗 is fourth tone and has the plow 耒 on the left, while 毫 is second tone with no plow.
Common words with 耗
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 消耗 | xiāohào | to consume; to use up; to deplete; to expend | HSK 6 |
| 耗费 | hàofèi | to waste; to spend | HSK 7-9 |
| 耗时 | hàoshí | time-consuming; to take a period of (x amount of time) | HSK 7-9 |
| 能耗 | nénghào | energy consumption | HSK 7-9 |
| 耗尽 | hàojìn | to exhaust; to use up | |
| 耗子 | hàozi | (dialect) mouse; rat | |
| 噩耗 | èhào | news of sb's death; sad news |
耗 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 耗
How many strokes are in 耗?
耗 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 耗 mean?
耗 (hào) means to waste; to spend; to consume. A common word with it is 消耗 (xiāohào), meaning "to consume; to use up; to deplete; to expend".
How do you pronounce 耗?
耗 is pronounced hào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 耗?
The radical of 耗 is 耒, which carries the idea of "plow". Dictionaries list 耗 under this radical.
Is 耗 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 耗 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 耗子 (hàozi) mean mouse?
In northern dialects and everyday speech, 耗子 is a common word for mouse or rat. Mice eat and spoil stored grain, so the word fits the idea of using things up. In standard written Chinese you will also see 老鼠 (lǎoshǔ).
How is 耗 related to news in 噩耗 (èhào)?
耗 has an older sense of news, which survives mainly in 噩耗, meaning news of someone's death. You will rarely see 耗 alone meaning news in modern Chinese, so learn this sense through the fixed word.