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March 24, 2026
偶ǒu(ou3)
The character 偶 (ǒu) primarily means 'accidental' or 'coincidentally.' It can also refer to a 'pair' or 'mate,' often used in contexts where two things go together, such as '偶像' (ǒuxiàng), meaning 'idol.' The character conveys a sense of serendipity and companionship.
Strokes11Radical亻Frequency#4232DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of偶像 (ǒuxiàng) is significant, as it relates to idols in pop culture, reflecting societal values on fame and admiration. The term often invokes discussions about celebrity culture in modern China.
Memory Tip
Imagine a pair of doves (the two dots above the character) that accidentally meet in the park. The doves represent the '偶' in '偶然' (ǒurán), which means 'accidentally.' The pronunciation 'ǒu' can be remembered as the sound of doves cooing, reinforcing the idea of pairs.
Meanings of 偶
ǒu(ou3)
1accidental
2image
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 偶
偶Simplified
11Strokes
亻Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#4232Frequency Rank
Podcast: 偶
Podcast: 偶
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AI Study Notes for 偶
Quick Contrast
偶 (ǒu) vs 伴 (bàn) — use 偶 for accidental pairings, while 伴 emphasizes companionship or partnership.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 偶 (ǒu) with similar-sounding words, especially in spoken Mandarin where tone differences are crucial. It is more commonly used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal settings when discussing pairs or coincidences. Common collocations include '偶然' (ǒurán) and '偶像' (ǒuxiàng).
HSK Study Tips
Although 偶 (ǒu) is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to other HSK words around daily life and relationships. Students should focus on recognizing it in various compound words, particularly those discussing relationships or accidental occurrences.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 偶 (ǒu) with 友 (yǒu), which means 'friend,' due to similar pronunciation. Always ensure you're using the right character in context; for example, saying '我的偶是他' (My friend is him) is incorrect; it should be '我的朋友是他' (My friend is him).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 偶
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How Well Do You Know 偶?
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Learning Lab
Knowing 偶 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
偶 = 亻 + 禺. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 偶
IDS Structure⿰亻禺
偶Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
禺ou3
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 偶?
How to say accidental in Chinese
“accidental” in Chinese is偶ǒu
The character 偶 (ǒu) primarily means 'accidental' or 'coincidentally.' It can also refer to a 'pair' or 'mate,' often used in contexts where two things go together, such as '偶像' (ǒuxiàng), meaning 'idol.' The character conveys a sense of serendipity and companionship.
When to use 偶
Be careful not to confuse 偶 (ǒu) with similar-sounding words, especially in spoken Mandarin where tone differences are crucial. It is more commonly used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal settings when discussing pairs or coincidences. Common collocations include '偶然' (ǒurán) and '偶像' (ǒuxiàng).
偶 or something close to it
偶 (ǒu) vs 伴 (bàn) — use 偶 for accidental pairings, while 伴 emphasizes companionship or partnership.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 偶 (ǒu) with 友 (yǒu), which means 'friend,' due to similar pronunciation. Always ensure you're using the right character in context; for example, saying '我的偶是他' (My friend is him) is incorrect; it should be '我的朋友是他' (My friend is him).
Write 偶
偶
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Practice writing 偶 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 偶
偶 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Occasionally a patient is so debilitated that he must be fed intravenously.
7
她看见蛾子的翅膀偶尔会泛光。
tā kàn jiàn é zǐ de chì bǎng ǒu ěr huì fàn guāng。
She saw the occasional glimmer of a moth's wings.
8
我知道我确实偶尔会奚落别人。
wǒ zhī dào wǒ què shí ǒu ěr huì xī luò bié rén。
I know that I do put people down occasionally.
9
我们偶尔会吃顿大餐。
wǒ mén ǒu ěr huì chī dùn dà cān。
Once in a while we had a major blowout.
10
对他来说，偶尔出去旅游会是很不错的经历。
duì tā lái shuō， ， ǒu ěr chū qù lǚ yóu huì shì hěn bù cuò de jīng。
It would be excellent experience for him to travel a little.
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Cultural Notes for 偶
💡Did you know?
在中国文化中，'偶'字常与配偶相关联。例如，结婚时，夫妻被称为'偶侣'，强调两人之间的伴侣关系。
Word Family of 偶
Words Containing This Character20
偶像ǒuxiàngidol
偶ǒuimage
偶尔ǒu’ěroccasionally偶爾
偶然ǒuránincidentally
玩偶toy figurine
木偶mù’ǒupuppet
偶遇a chance encounter
配偶pèi’ǒuconsort
无独有偶it's not the only case無獨有偶
偶然性chance
择偶to choose a spouse擇偶
偶数even number偶數
奇偶parity
偶一accidentally
丧偶bereaved of one's spouse (literary)喪偶
对偶dual對偶
热电偶thermocouple熱電偶
佳偶happily married couple
偶合coincidence
提线木偶marionette提線木偶
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 偶
What does 偶像 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 偶
偶 (ǒu) refers to something that is incidental or a pair, while 偶尔 (ǒu'ěr) specifically means 'occasionally' or 'once in a while.' Use 偶 when discussing pairs or accidents, and 偶尔 when referring to frequency.
Yes, 偶 can be found in various idiomatic expressions, often relating to chance or pairs. For example, '偶像' (ǒuxiàng) means 'idol,' showing its use in modern contexts.
偶 (ǒu) can mean 'accidental' or refer to an 'image' or 'pair'. It is often used in contexts where something occurs by chance or to describe two items that are considered together, like a pair of shoes.
You can use 偶 in sentences like '我们偶然遇见' (wǒmen ǒurán yùjiàn), which means 'We met accidentally.' It can also be used to describe pairs, such as '一双偶' (yī shuāng ǒu), meaning 'a pair.'
You can say '我们偶然遇见了' (We met by accident), or '她是我的偶像' (She is my idol).
While it is more common in informal contexts, it can also be used in formal discussions about pairs or coincidental events.
Yes, it can describe pairs, but it is often used in specific phrases like '偶然' (accidentally) or '偶像' (idol).
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