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漚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
漚ōuto soak, to steep; sodden, soakedx, 14 strokes, radical 氵
ōu(ou1) T1
  1. 1to soak, to steep; sodden, soaked
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

漚ōu(ou1)

The character 漚 (ōu) refers to the process of soaking or steeping something, often in the context of cooking or preparing food. It conveys the idea of something being thoroughly soaked or sodden, which can also imply a degree of heaviness or saturation in texture or flavor.

Strokes14Radical氵
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese cooking, soaking ingredients (like beans or rice) is an important preparatory step, often linked to various culinary techniques and practices that enhance flavors and textures.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sponge (which looks like the character 漚) soaking up water. The 'water' represents the sound 'ōu' while the image of a saturated sponge helps you remember the meaning of being soaked.

Meanings of 漚

ōu(ou1)
1to soak, to steep; sodden, soaked
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 漚

漚Simplified
14Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 漚

JasonAmy

Podcast: 漚

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AI Study Notes for 漚

Usage Notes

While 漚 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in literary contexts or specific culinary discussions. Learners might confuse 漚 with similar-sounding characters; thus, paying attention to context is essential. It is more formal and less frequently encountered in casual speech.

HSK Study Tips

Though 漚 is not included in the HSK levels, understanding this character can enhance vocabulary related to food and cooking, which is relevant for HSK levels 3 and above. Focus on its components and the idea of soaking in various contexts to build connections with related terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 漚 with 浸 (jìn), which also means to soak but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我想漚米' (wǒ xiǎng ōu mǐ) instead of '我想浸米' (wǒ xiǎng jìn mǐ) would be incorrect in everyday usage.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 漚

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Etymology of 漚

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

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 漚

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half區 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 漚? 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 漚?

Decomposition of 漚

IDS Structure⿰氵區
漚Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
區qu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 漚?

How to say to soak, to steep; sodden, soaked in Chinese

“to soak, to steep; sodden, soaked” in Chinese is漚ōu

The character 漚 (ōu) refers to the process of soaking or steeping something, often in the context of cooking or preparing food. It conveys the idea of something being thoroughly soaked or sodden, which can also imply a degree of heaviness or saturation in texture or flavor.

When to use 漚

While 漚 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in literary contexts or specific culinary discussions. Learners might confuse 漚 with similar-sounding characters; thus, paying attention to context is essential. It is more formal and less frequently encountered in casual speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 漚 with 浸 (jìn), which also means to soak but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我想漚米' (wǒ xiǎng ōu mǐ) instead of '我想浸米' (wǒ xiǎng jìn mǐ) would be incorrect in everyday usage.

Write 漚

漚

Practice writing 漚 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 漚

Words Containing This Character2
沤ōububble漚
沤肥manure漚肥
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 沤 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 漚

It is pronounced as 'ōu'.

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