Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
贅 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
贅zhuìunnecessary, superfluousx, 18 strokes, radical 貝
zhuì(zhui4)zhui T4
  1. 1unnecessary, superfluous
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

贅zhuì(zhui4)

The character 贅 (zhuì) refers to something that is unnecessary or superfluous. It is often used to describe excess or items that add no value to a situation, such as extraneous details in writing or unnecessary embellishments in art.

Strokes18Radical貝
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on minimalism and efficiency, especially in art and design. The concept of avoiding superfluity is reflected in traditional aesthetics, where simplicity is valued.

Memory tip

Imagine a 'zhuite' (druid-like figure) who decorates his home with so many unnecessary items that it becomes cluttered. The extra items, or '贅', symbolize the superfluous nature of his decorations.

Meanings of 贅

zhuì(zhui4)
1unnecessary, superfluous
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 贅 means.

About 贅

贅Simplified
18Strokes
貝Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 贅

JasonAmy

Podcast: 贅

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 贅

Quick Contrast

冗 (rǒng) — use 贅 (zhuì) for unnecessary items or details that add no value, while 冗 (rǒng) emphasizes excess in terms of being overly verbose or lengthy.

Usage Notes

贅 is often used in negative contexts to critique excess. Common collocations include 贅言 (superfluous words) and 贅物 (unnecessary items). Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that have positive meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 贅 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with HSK Level 5 words like 多余 (duōyú, excess) and 过剩 (guòshèng, surplus). Focus on understanding its usage in context and distinguishing it from related terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 贅 with similar characters like 罪 (zuì, crime), leading to incorrect phrases such as '贅人' instead of '罪人' (criminal). Ensure you distinguish between the meanings when constructing sentences.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 贅

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 贅 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 贅 to you

Let me explain 贅 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 贅 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How well do you know 贅?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 贅 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.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 贅

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

Phonosemantic compound. 敖 represents the meaning and 贝 represents the sound. Simplified form of 贅.

Memory hint

leisure

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

Origin

贅 = 敖 + 貝. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 贅

IDS Structure⿱敖貝
贅Full character
=
敖Ao2
top
貝bei4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 贅?

How to say unnecessary, superfluous in Chinese

“unnecessary, superfluous” in Chinese is贅zhuì

The character 贅 (zhuì) refers to something that is unnecessary or superfluous. It is often used to describe excess or items that add no value to a situation, such as extraneous details in writing or unnecessary embellishments in art.

When to use 贅

贅 is often used in negative contexts to critique excess. Common collocations include 贅言 (superfluous words) and 贅物 (unnecessary items). Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words that have positive meanings.

贅 or something close to it

冗 (rǒng) — use 贅 (zhuì) for unnecessary items or details that add no value, while 冗 (rǒng) emphasizes excess in terms of being overly verbose or lengthy.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 贅 with similar characters like 罪 (zuì, crime), leading to incorrect phrases such as '贅人' instead of '罪人' (criminal). Ensure you distinguish between the meanings when constructing sentences.

Write 贅

贅

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 贅?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Word Family of 贅

Words containing this character13
累赘superfluous累贅
赘zhuìsuperfluous贅
赘述to say more than is necessary贅述
赘言superfluous words贅言
入赘to go and live with one's wife's family, in effect becoming a member of her family入贅
赘婿son-in-law living at wife's parent's house贅婿
赘疣wart贅疣
赘余superfluous贅餘
冗赘verbose冗贅
赘瘤useless贅瘤
疣赘wart疣贅
附赘悬疣superfluities附贅懸疣
赘词superfluous words贅詞
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 贅

What does 累赘 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 贅

You might say, '这篇文章有许多贅言' (This article has a lot of superfluous words).

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 贅?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab