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March 24, 2026
妒dù(du4)
The character 妒 (dù) primarily means 'to envy' or 'to be jealous', especially in contexts related to success or talent. It conveys a sense of resentment towards someone else's achievements or qualities. This word is often used in both personal relationships and competitive situations.
Strokes7Radical女Frequency#22250DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, jealousy is often discussed in the context of relationships and success, reflecting societal values on competition and harmony. 妒 can be seen in literature and everyday life, highlighting the tension between personal aspirations and social expectations.
Memory Tip
Think of 妒 (dù) as a combination of the radical 女 (nǚ) meaning 'woman' and the character 土 (tǔ) meaning 'earth'. Imagine a woman (女) feeling envious (妒) of another's prosperous land (土), which helps you visualize her jealousy and remember the pronunciation.
Meanings of 妒
dù(du4)
1to envy (success, talent)
2jealous
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 妒 means.
About 妒
妒Simplified
7Strokes
女Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#22250Frequency Rank
Podcast: 妒
Podcast: 妒
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AI Study Notes for 妒
Quick Contrast
嫉 (jì) — use 妒 (dù) for jealousy rooted in personal relationships, while 嫉 (jì) often implies a more intense or hostile form of envy.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 妒 with similar words like 羡 (xiàn), which means 'to admire'. 妒 is generally used in more negative contexts. Be mindful of its informal tone in everyday conversations, and pair it with words like 'success' (成功) or 'talent' (才能) for clearer expression.
HSK Study Tips
While 妒 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other emotion-related words at higher levels. Students should practice using it in sentences to express feelings of jealousy or envy, enhancing their emotional vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners might confuse 妒 with 羡 (xiàn) and use it incorrectly in affirmative contexts. For example, saying '我羡她的能力' (Wǒ xiàn tā de nénglì) is correct for admiration, but using 妒 here would imply negative feelings that don't fit.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 妒
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How Well Do You Know 妒?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 妒 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.
妒 = 女 + 户. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 妒
IDS Structure⿰女户
妒Full Character
=
女nü3
left
户hu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 妒?
How to say to envy (success, talent) in Chinese
“to envy (success, talent)” in Chinese is妒dù
The character 妒 (dù) primarily means 'to envy' or 'to be jealous', especially in contexts related to success or talent. It conveys a sense of resentment towards someone else's achievements or qualities. This word is often used in both personal relationships and competitive situations.
When to use 妒
Learners often confuse 妒 with similar words like 羡 (xiàn), which means 'to admire'. 妒 is generally used in more negative contexts. Be mindful of its informal tone in everyday conversations, and pair it with words like 'success' (成功) or 'talent' (才能) for clearer expression.
妒 or something close to it
嫉 (jì) — use 妒 (dù) for jealousy rooted in personal relationships, while 嫉 (jì) often implies a more intense or hostile form of envy.
What learners get wrong
Learners might confuse 妒 with 羡 (xiàn) and use it incorrectly in affirmative contexts. For example, saying '我羡她的能力' (Wǒ xiàn tā de nénglì) is correct for admiration, but using 妒 here would imply negative feelings that don't fit.
Write 妒
妒
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Grammar Patterns of 妒
妒 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
你之所以____忌是因为唱片公司拒绝接受你的想法。
You're jealous because the record company rejected your idea.
