Meaning of 度
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to pass
- to spend (time)
- measure
- limit
- extent
- degree of intensity
- degree (angles, temperature etc)
- kilowatt-hour
- to estimate
- Taiwan pr. [duo4]
How to use 度
度 (dù) is used as a measure word for degrees of temperature or angle, and as a suffix meaning "degree" or "level" in words like 温度 (wēndù) and 速度 (sùdù). It also means to spend time, as in 度假 (dùjià, to go on vacation). Example: 今天三十度。(Jīntiān sānshí dù.) It is 30 degrees today.
Picture a hand (又, the bottom part of 度) spreading out under a roof (广) to measure the room by hand-spans. Measuring things leads to the meaning of degree and extent.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 度 with 席 (xí, seat, mat), which has a similar top. 度 has 又 at the bottom, while 席 has 巾. Also avoid writing 渡 (dù, to cross water) when you mean spending time or degree. 渡 has the water radical 氵.
度 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
度 dù · to pass · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 度.
| 态度 | tàidù | manner; bearing |
| 角度 | jiǎodù | angle; (fig.) point of view |
| 温度 | wēndù | temperature |
| 速度 | sùdù | speed; rate; velocity; (music) tempo |
| 程度 | chéngdù | degree; level; extent |
| 制度 | zhìdù | system (e.g. political, adminstrative etc); institution |
| 难度 | nándù | degree of difficulty |
| 度过 | dùguò | to pass; to spend (time) |
| 季度 | jìdù | quarter of a year; season (sports) |
| 高度 | gāodù | height; altitude |
| 过度 | guòdù | excessive; over- |
| 深度 | shēndù | depth; (of a speech etc) profundity |
Questions about 度
What does 度 mean?
度 (dù) means "to pass; to spend (time)" and is used as a noun, measure word and suffix.
How do you write 度?
度 is made of 1 character: 度 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 度 an HSK word?
Yes. 度 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
When is 度 pronounced duó?
In the literary sense "to estimate" or "to guess," 度 is read duó, as in 揣度 (chuǎiduó, to conjecture). This is rare in everyday speech. Almost all common words use dù.
Can 度 mean kilowatt-hour on an electricity bill?
Yes. In everyday Chinese, 一度电 (yí dù diàn) means one kilowatt-hour of electricity. People use it when talking about power usage and bills.