途 meaning and stroke order
Way, road, path, journey, course
How to write 途, 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 途
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- way
- route
- road
How 途 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 余 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 途
The walking radical 辶 wraps around 余 (yú), which gives the sound. Picture yourself walking along a road, and the walking part tells you 途 is about a way or journey.
途 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 途中 (túzhōng, en route), 前途 (qiántú, prospects), and 用途 (yòngtú, use). Example: 我们在回家的途中下雨了。(Wǒmen zài huíjiā de túzhōng xià yǔ le.) It rained on our way home.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 途 (tú) with 涂 (tú, to smear or paint), since both use 余 and sound the same. 途 has the walking radical 辶 because it is about roads, while 涂 has the water radical 氵.
Common words with 途
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 前途 | qiántú | prospects; future outlook | HSK 4 |
| 途中 | túzhōng | en route | HSK 4 |
| 用途 | yòngtú | use; application | HSK 4 |
| 长途 | chángtú | long distance; long-distance phone call (abbr. for 長途電話|长途电话[chang2 tu2 dian4 hua4]) | HSK 4 |
| 途径 | tújìng | way; means; channel | HSK 6 |
| 旅途 | lǚtú | journey; trip | HSK 7-9 |
| 中途 | zhōngtú | partway through; midway; along the way | HSK 7-9 |
| 路途 | lùtú | (lit. and fig.) road; path | HSK 7-9 |
| 沿途 | yántú | along the sides of the road; by the wayside | HSK 7-9 |
| 半途而废 | bàntú'érfèi | to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished | HSK 7-9 |
| 长途跋涉 | chángtúbáshè | long and difficult trek | |
| 长途电话 | chángtúdiànhuà | long-distance phone call | |
| 迷途 | mítú | to lose one's way | |
| 误入歧途 | wùrùqítú | to take a wrong step in life (idiom); to go astray |
途 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 途
How many strokes are in 途?
途 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 途 mean?
途 (tú) means way, road, path, journey, course. A common word with it is 前途 (qiántú), meaning "prospects; future outlook".
How do you pronounce 途?
途 is pronounced tú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 途?
The radical of 途 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 途 under this radical.
Is 途 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 途 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 途 and 路 (lù)?
路 is the everyday word for a road or street and can stand alone, as in 这条路 (zhè tiáo lù). 途 is more formal and abstract, and it usually appears inside compounds like 旅途 (lǚtú) or 路途 (lùtú).
Does 前途 mean the road ahead literally?
Usually not. 前途 (qiántú) almost always means someone's future prospects, as in 他很有前途 (tā hěn yǒu qiántú), he has a bright future.