龌 meaning and stroke order
Narrow, small-minded; dirty (1)
How to write 龌, stroke by stroke
17 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 龌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dirty
- small-minded
How 龌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Teeth.
齿 gives the meaning and 屋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 齿 (teeth), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 龌
龌 puts teeth 齿 (chǐ) beside a house 屋 (wū), which also gives the sound wò. Picture teeth crammed into a tiny, grimy house: cramped and dirty, just like the meanings narrow and filthy.
龌 almost never appears alone. It lives in the word 龌龊 (wòchuò), which can mean physically dirty but more often describes vile, despicable behavior or a petty mind. Example: 他的手段很龌龊。(Tā de shǒuduàn hěn wòchuò.) His methods are really despicable.
Common mistake: Learners often read 龌 as wū because of the phonetic part 屋 (wū), but the correct reading is fourth tone wò. Also do not mix up 龊 (chuò) with 促 (cù); both halves of 龌龊 use the teeth component 齿.
Common words with 龌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 龌龊 | wòchuò | dirty; filthy; vile; despicable |
Questions about 龌
How many strokes are in 龌?
龌 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 龌 mean?
龌 (wò) means narrow, small-minded; dirty (1). A common word with it is 龌龊 (wòchuò), meaning "dirty; filthy; vile; despicable".
How do you pronounce 龌?
龌 is pronounced wò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 龌?
The radical of 龌 is 齿, which carries the idea of "teeth". Dictionaries list 龌 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 龌?
The traditional form of 龌 is 齷. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 龌 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 龌龊 an insult when used about a person?
Yes. Calling someone or their thoughts 龌龊 is a strong criticism, suggesting they are sleazy, base, or dishonest. It is much harsher than simply saying 脏 (zāng), dirty.
Can I use 龌龊 to talk about a messy room?
You can, but it sounds literary or exaggerated. For everyday physical dirt, people usually say 脏 (zāng) or 很乱 (hěn luàn) for messy, and keep 龌龊 for moral filth.