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僂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
僂lóuhumpback; surnamex, 13 strokes, radical 亻
lóu(lou2) T2
  1. 1humpback; surname
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

僂lóu(lou2)

The character 僂 (lóu) primarily means 'humpback' or 'hunchback.' It can also serve as a surname. In everyday usage, it may describe a physical condition or be used figuratively to describe a person with a 'hunched' demeanor.

Strokes13Radical亻
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, physical conditions like a hunchback may be associated with certain health issues, reflecting a holistic view of the body. Understanding this character can provide insight into discussions about health and physicality in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'hump' on a 'low' hill. The character 僂 has the radical for 'person' (亻) on the left, suggesting it's related to a human feature, while the right side resembles a hill with a hump. Picture someone hunched over on that hill to remember its meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 僂

lóu(lou2)
1humpback; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 僂

僂Simplified
13Strokes
亻Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 僂

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Podcast: 僂

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AI Study Notes for 僂

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone as 'lóu' is pronounced with the second tone, which can easily be confused with similar-sounding words. It's generally informal and more commonly used in conversational contexts. Collocations include phrases relating to physical appearances or conditions.

HSK Study Tips

While 僂 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to HSK Level 3 terms like '人' (rén, person) and '身' (shēn, body). Students should focus on the structure of the character and its components to build their vocabulary on physical descriptions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 僂 with similar-sounding characters like '楼' (lóu, building). Remember that 僂 specifically refers to 'humpback.' Another common mistake is mispronouncing it with a neutral tone instead of the second tone.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 僂

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Etymology of 僂

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

person

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)婁
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 僂

  1. 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half婁 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayperson
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 僂? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 僂?

Decomposition of 僂

IDS Structure⿰亻婁
僂Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
婁lou2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 僂?

How to say humpback; surname in Chinese

“humpback; surname” in Chinese is僂lóu

The character 僂 (lóu) primarily means 'humpback' or 'hunchback.' It can also serve as a surname. In everyday usage, it may describe a physical condition or be used figuratively to describe a person with a 'hunched' demeanor.

When to use 僂

Be cautious with the tone as 'lóu' is pronounced with the second tone, which can easily be confused with similar-sounding words. It's generally informal and more commonly used in conversational contexts. Collocations include phrases relating to physical appearances or conditions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 僂 with similar-sounding characters like '楼' (lóu, building). Remember that 僂 specifically refers to 'humpback.' Another common mistake is mispronouncing it with a neutral tone instead of the second tone.

Write 僂

僂

Practice writing 僂 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 僂

Words Containing This Character3
佝偻病rickets (medicine)佝僂病
偻lóuhunchback僂
佝偻stooped佝僂
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 佝偻病 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 僂

It primarily means 'humpback' but can also refer to a surname. It's used to describe physical characteristics.

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