骨 meaning and stroke order
Bone; skeleton; frame, framework
How to write 骨, stroke by stroke
9 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 骨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- bone
- used in 骨碌碌[gu1 lu4 lu4]
- used in 骨碌[gu1 lu5]
- used in 骨朵[gu1 duo5]
How 骨 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Flesh ⺼ and bones 冎.
How to remember 骨
The top part 冎 looks like a joint of bones, and the bottom ⺼ is the flesh radical. Together they show bones with flesh attached, so 骨 (gǔ) means bone.
骨 (gǔ) appears mostly in compound words about the body, like 骨头 (gǔtou) and 骨折 (gǔzhé), and also in words about character, like 骨气 (gǔqì). Example: 他的腿骨折了。 (Tā de tuǐ gǔzhé le.) His leg is broken.
Common mistake: Learners often read 骨头 as gǔtóu, but in everyday speech it is gǔtou with a neutral tone on 头. Also note that ⺼ at the bottom is the flesh radical, not 月 meaning moon, even though they look the same.
Common words with 骨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 骨头 | gǔtou | bone; moral character | HSK 4 |
| 骨折 | gǔzhé | to suffer a fracture; (of a bone) to break | HSK 7-9 |
| 骨气 | gǔqì | unyielding character; courageous spirit | HSK 7-9 |
| 刺骨 | cìgǔ | piercing; cutting | HSK 7-9 |
| 骨干 | gǔgàn | diaphysis (long segment of a bone); fig. backbone | HSK 7-9 |
| 骨灰 | gǔhuī | bone ash; cremation ashes; cremains | |
| 肋骨 | lèigǔ | rib | |
| 头骨 | tóugǔ | skull | |
| 毛骨悚然 | máogǔsǒngrán | to have one's hair stand on end (idiom); to feel one's blood run cold | |
| 骨髓 | gǔsuǐ | bone marrow | |
| 骨骼 | gǔgé | bones; skeleton | |
| 排骨 | páigǔ | pork chop; pork cutlet | |
| 骨肉 | gǔròu | blood relation; kin | |
| 骨架 | gǔjià | framework; skeleton |
骨 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 骨
Learning 骨 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 骨
How many strokes are in 骨?
骨 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 骨 mean?
骨 (gǔ) means bone; skeleton; frame, framework. A common word with it is 骨头 (gǔtou), meaning "bone; moral character".
How do you pronounce 骨?
骨 is pronounced gǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 骨 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 骨 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why is 骨 sometimes pronounced gū?
It is read gū only in a few words, such as 骨碌 (gūlu), to roll, and 骨朵 (gūduo), a flower bud. In almost every other word, including 骨头, it is gǔ.
What does 骨干 mean when talking about people?
骨干 (gǔgàn) literally refers to the shaft of a long bone, but it is often used to mean the backbone or key members of a group. For example, 公司的骨干 means the core staff of a company.