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妒 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
妒dùto envy (success, talent)v, 7 strokes, radical 女, rank #22250, Hard
妒dùjealousv, 7 strokes, radical 女, rank #22250, Hard
妒dùjealous, enviousv, 7 strokes, radical 女, rank #22250, Hard
dù(du4) T4
  1. 1to envy (success, talent)
  2. 2jealous
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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#22250DifficultyHard
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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 妒

妒Simplified
7Strokes
女Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#22250Frequency Rank

Podcast: 妒

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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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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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Etymology of 妒

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

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 户 represents the sound. Simplified form of 妬.

Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)户
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 妒?

Decomposition of 妒

IDS Structure⿰女户
妒Full Character
=
女nü3
left
户hu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 妒?

Write 妒

妒

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

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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

Complete the Sentence

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.

Example Sentences for 妒 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你之所以妒忌是因为唱片公司拒绝接受你的想法。

nǐ zhī suǒ yǐ dù jì shì yīn wéi chàng piàn gōng sī jù jué jiē shòu nǐ de xiǎng fǎ。

You're jealous because the record company rejected your idea.
2
我绞尽脑汁，处心积虑，就是为了让他嫉妒。

wǒ jiǎo jìn nǎo zhī， ， chǔ xīn jī， lǜ ， jiù shì wéi le ràng tā。

I worked myself into frenzy plotting ways to make him jealous.
3
“大约6个月后，”弗洛伊德写道，“汉斯克服了他的嫉妒心理。”

“ “ dà6 yuē 6 gè，” yuè hòu ，” fú luò yī，“ dé xiě dào ，“ hàn sī kè fú le tā de。”

"Some six months later," Freud writes, "Hans had got over his jealousy."
4
格洛弗认为史密斯说他坏话，也许是出于嫉妒。

gé luò fú rèn wéi shǐ mì sī shuō tā huài huà， ， yě xǔ shì chū yú jí。

Glover thinks that Smith did him down, perhaps out of envy.
5
我们出去时，女孩子们总是用忌妒的眼神看着我。

wǒ mén chū qù shí， ， nǚ hái zǐ mén zǒng shì yòng jì dù de yǎn shén kàn zháo。

When we go out, girls are always giving me the evil eye.
6
潜意识里的嫉妒常表现为这种傲慢自大。

qián yì shí lǐ de jí dù cháng biǎo xiàn wéi zhè zhǒng ào màn zì dà。

Unconscious envy manifests itself very often as this kind of arrogance.
7
安东尼娅不会嫉妒，即便嫉妒，她也不会表现出来。

ān dōng ní yà bù huì jí dù， ， jí biàn jí， dù ， tā yě bù huì biǎo xiàn。

Antonia will not be jealous, or if she is, she will not show it.
8
家家有本难念的经，也都难免互生嫉妒，但总归血浓于水。

jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng， ， yě dū nán miǎn hù shēng jí， dù ， dàn zǒng guī xiě nóng。

Families have their problems and jealousies, but blood is thicker than water.
9
怀疑和忌妒，不管多么站不住脚，都可能毒害婚姻。

huái yí hé jì dù， ， bù guǎn duō mó zhàn bù zhù， jiǎo ， dū kě néng dú hài。

Suspicion and jealousy, however ill-founded, can poison a marriage.
10
也许是羡慕，但我认为更多的是嫉妒。

yě xǔ shì xiàn mù， ， dàn wǒ rèn wéi gēng duō de shì jí。

Maybe there is jealousy, but I think the envy is more powerful.

Cultural Notes for 妒

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 妒

Words Containing This Character6
嫉妒jídùto envy
妒忌dùjìenvy
妒dùjealous
妒嫉envy
忌妒to envy
妒贤忌能to envy the virtuous and talented (idiom)妒賢忌能
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 嫉妒 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 妒

You can say '我对她的成功感到妒忌' (Wǒ duì tā de chénggōng gǎndào dùjì), meaning 'I feel envious of her success'.