鬱 meaning and stroke order
Melancholy; dense growth
How to write 鬱, stroke by stroke
29 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 鬱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) (of vegetation) lush; luxuriant
- (bound form) melancholy; depressed
How 鬱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Forest.
林 gives the meaning and 缶 hints at the sound.
How to remember 鬱
Picture a dense forest 林 with a clay jar 缶 squeezed between the trees, everything packed tight under a cover 冖 with herbs 鬯 and hair-like strokes 彡 below. That crowded, closed-in feeling gives both meanings: lush, thick growth and a heavy, gloomy mood.
鬱 is a bound form, so it appears inside words like 忧郁 (yōuyù) melancholy and 抑郁 (yìyù) depressed rather than standing alone. In simplified Chinese it is written 郁, which is what you will see in mainland texts. Example: 他最近很郁闷。(Tā zuìjìn hěn yùmèn.) He has been feeling down lately.
Common mistake: Learners often assume 郁 and 鬱 are unrelated characters, but 郁 is the standard simplified form used for all these words, including 郁金香 (yùjīnxiāng) tulip. Also keep the fourth tone: it is yù, not yǔ like 雨 (yǔ) rain.
Common words with 鬱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 鬱
How many strokes are in 鬱?
鬱 is written with 29 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鬱 mean?
鬱 (yù) means melancholy; dense growth. A common word with it is 忧郁 (yōuyù), meaning "sullen; depressed; melancholy; dejected".
How do you pronounce 鬱?
鬱 is pronounced yù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 鬱?
The radical of 鬱 is 鬯. Dictionaries list 鬱 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鬱?
鬱 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 郁, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 忧郁 and 抑郁?
忧郁 (yōuyù) describes a melancholy, sad temperament or mood. 抑郁 (yìyù) suggests feelings held down and suppressed, and 抑郁症 (yìyùzhèng) is the usual term for clinical depression.
Is 郁闷 a serious word?
Not usually. 郁闷 (yùmèn) is common in casual speech for feeling frustrated, bored, or a bit down, similar to saying you feel bummed out.