土 Stroke Order — How to Write 土

Stroke Order

土 is written in 3 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 土, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

土 Radical and Character Components

Components:十一

土 is a pictograph. A lump of clay on a potter's wheel.

Radical: 土 + 0 more strokes

土 Pronunciation and Pinyin

Meanings of 土 in Chinese

tǔ土

soil; earth; dirt; loess

植物需要土壤才能生长。

Plants need soil to grow.

Land; territory; native land.

一方水土养育一方人。

The unique land and climate of a place nurture its people, shaping their characteristics.

Referring to something local or native; indigenous.

他最喜欢家乡的土菜。

He likes his hometown's local dishes the most.

Locally produced; traditional or folk (often contrasting with foreign or modern, e.g., folk remedy).

奶奶说这个土方对治疗咳嗽很有效。

Grandma said this folk remedy is very effective for treating coughs.

Unfashionable; rustic; unsophisticated; out of date.

别穿得那么土，跟不上潮流了

Don't dress so unfashionably; you can't keep up with the trends.

Unprocessed or raw opium.

过去，有些地方曾有贩卖烟土的活动

In the past, some places were involved in the trade of raw opium.

One of the eight traditional categories of ancient Chinese musical instruments (bayin), referring to instruments made of baked clay or earth, such as the xun (ocarina).

古人将乐器按材料分为八音，其中以陶土制成的乐器归为‘土’类。

The ancients categorized musical instruments into eight sounds (materials), with those made from clay belonging to the 'earth' (tǔ) category.

Referring to the Tu ethnic group, a minority group in China.

他学会了一些简单的土语，可以和当地人交流。

He learned some simple Tu language and can communicate with the locals.

Common Words and Phrases with 土

tǔ土bà坝

An earth dam, also known as an earth-filled dam, is a type of dam constructed primarily from compacted earth, sand, or rock, often with an impermeable core of clay or concrete.

这座古老的土坝在雨季为附近的农田提供了灌溉水源。

This ancient earthen dam provides irrigation water for nearby farmland during the rainy season.

tǔ土bāng邦

A native state in former British India, governed by its own prince under British supervision.

在印度历史中，许多土邦拥有独特的行政结构和文化传统。

In Indian history, many princely states possessed unique administrative structures and cultural traditions.

tǔ土bāo包

a mound of earth; a small hillock; (dialect) a local ruffian or hoodlum

小孩子们在田野里的一个土包上玩耍

The children were playing on a small mound of earth in the field.

tǔ土bāo包zi子

A derogatory term for a country bumpkin or an unsophisticated person who lacks exposure to modern life.

我这辈子还没坐过飞机，真是个土包子。

I've never flown in my life, I'm such a country bumpkin.

tǔ土pù堡

Earth bastion; a military fortification built with earth.

村民们在村口修筑了一个土堡，以抵御野兽的侵扰。

The villagers built an earthen fort at the village entrance to fend off wild animal intrusions.

tǔ土bēng崩wǎ瓦jiě解

To crumble and disintegrate; to collapse and fall apart completely.

如果管理不善，一个曾经强大的企业也可能在短时间内土崩瓦解。

If poorly managed, even a once powerful enterprise can quickly crumble and fall apart.

tǔ土bù布

A coarse, hand-spun and hand-woven cloth, typically russet or unbleached, traditionally used by rural people.

集市上摆满了各种手工制品，其中有许多是传统的土布。

The market was full of various handicrafts, many of which were traditional homespun cloth.

tǔ土céng层

A layer of earth or soil.

这片田地的土层深厚肥沃，非常适合农作物生长。

The soil layer of this field is deep and fertile, very suitable for crop growth.

tǔ土chǎn产

local (native) product; local specialty/produce

这个小镇以其独特的土产而闻名

This small town is famous for its unique local produce.

tǔ土dì地

Land; ground; territory.

农民在肥沃的土地上辛勤耕作，希望能有个好收成。

Farmers diligently work on the fertile land, hoping for a good harvest.

tǔ土dì地gǎi改gé革

Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) refers to legislative or other measures taken to redistribute agricultural land more equitably, often by dividing large estates into smaller ones, or a movement to reform feudal land ownership.

成功的土地改革可以改善农村社区的经济状况。

Successful land reform can improve the economic conditions of rural communities.

tǔ土dì地miào庙

Earth God temple

村子口有一座古老的土地庙，香火很旺。

At the entrance of the village, there is an ancient Earth God Temple, and it is very popular with worshippers.

tǔ土diàn电yǐng影

slide show (colloquial)

小时候，村里经常放土电影，大家搬着小板凳去看，那是非常快乐的时光。

When I was a child, the village often showed 'tu dianying' (magic lantern shows), and everyone would bring their small stools to watch them; those were truly happy times.

tǔ土dòu豆

potato