脱 meaning and stroke order
To shed; to take off; to escape
How to write 脱, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 脱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to shed
- to take off
- to escape
- to get away from
How 脱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 兑 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 脱
脱 combines the flesh radical ⺼ with 兑 (duì), which hints at the sound. Picture your body (flesh) slipping out of its clothes or skin, like a snake shedding, and you have 'to take off' or 'to get free'.
In daily speech 脱 most often means taking off clothing, shoes, or hats. In more formal words it means escaping or breaking away, as in 摆脱 (bǎituō) and 脱离 (tuōlí). Example: 进门请脱鞋。(Jìn mén qǐng tuō xié.) Please take off your shoes when you come in.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 脱 with 说 (shuō, to speak) because both share the 兑 part. Check the left side: flesh ⺼ for 脱, speech 讠 for 说. Also keep the first tone in tuō and do not say tuó.
Common words with 脱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 摆脱 | bǎituō | to break away from; to cast off (old ideas etc) | HSK 4 |
| 脱离 | tuōlí | to separate oneself from; to break away from | HSK 5 |
| 解脱 | jiětuō | to untie; to free | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱身 | tuōshēn | to get away; to escape (from obligations) | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱落 | tuōluò | to drop off; to fall off; (of hair, teeth etc) to fall out; to omit (a character when writ | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱颖而出 | tuōyǐng'érchū | to reveal one's talent (idiom); to rise above others; to distinguish oneself | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱节 | tuōjié | to come apart | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱口而出 | tuōkǒu'érchū | (idiom) to blurt out; to let slip (an indiscreet remark) | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱掉 | tuōdiào | to remove; to take off | |
| 逃脱 | táotuō | to run away; to escape | |
| 脱衣服 | tuōyīfú | undress | |
| 脱衣舞 | tuōyīwǔ | striptease | |
| 脱下 | tuōxià | to take off (clothing) | |
| 脱光 | tuōguāng | to strip naked; to strip nude |
脱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 脱
How many strokes are in 脱?
脱 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 脱 mean?
脱 (tuō) means to shed; to take off; to escape. A common word with it is 摆脱 (bǎituō), meaning "to break away from; to cast off (old ideas etc)".
How do you pronounce 脱?
脱 is pronounced tuō, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 脱?
The radical of 脱 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 脱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 脱?
The traditional form of 脱 is 脫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 脱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 脱 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 脱 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 脱 and 穿?
They are opposites. 穿 (chuān) means to put on or wear clothes, and 脱 (tuō) means to take them off. For example, 穿外套 means put on a coat and 脱外套 means take off a coat.
How is 脱 used in the idiom 脱口而出?
脱口而出 (tuōkǒu'érchū) describes words slipping out of your mouth before you think. It is used when someone blurts something out, often something they did not mean to say.