馱 meaning and stroke order
To carry on one's back
How to write 馱, 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 馱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- load carried by a pack animal
- to carry on one's back
How 馱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Horse.
馬 gives the meaning and 大 hints at the sound.
Radical: 馬 (horse), shared by 47 characters on this site.
How to remember 馱
A horse 馬 carrying something big 大 on its back: that is 馱 (tuó), to carry on the back. 馬 gives the meaning, and 大 hints at the sound.
As a verb, 馱 (tuó) means a person or animal carries a load on its back. It is common with animals like horses, donkeys and camels. Example: 驢子馱著兩袋米。(Lǘzi tuózhe liǎng dài mǐ.) The donkey is carrying two bags of rice on its back.
Common mistake: Learners often read it as dà because of the 大 component, but the verb is tuó, with a second tone. Do not confuse it with 駝 (tuó) in 駱駝 (luòtuo, camel), which sounds the same but is a different character.
Questions about 馱
How many strokes are in 馱?
馱 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 馱 mean?
馱 (tuó) means to carry on one's back.
How do you pronounce 馱?
馱 is pronounced tuó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 馱?
The radical of 馱 is 馬, which carries the idea of "horse". Dictionaries list 馱 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 馱?
馱 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 驮, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between tuó and duò for 馱?
Tuó is the verb, to carry on the back. Duò is a noun for the load a pack animal carries, as in 馱子 (duòzi), a pack load.
How is 馱 different from 背 (bēi)?
Both can mean carrying on the back, but 背 is the everyday word for people, like carrying a child or a backpack. 馱 is used mostly for animals hauling loads, or playfully for a person carrying someone like a horse would.