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鬱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鬱yùmelancholy; dense growthx, 29 strokes, radical 鬯
yù(yu4)yu T4
  1. 1melancholy; dense growth
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March 24, 2026

鬱yù(yu4)

The character 鬱 (yù) conveys a sense of melancholy or deep sadness, often associated with feelings of depression. It can also refer to dense growth, typically in a botanical context where plants or trees are thickly clustered together, indicating an overwhelming or suffocating presence.

Strokes29Radical鬯
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of melancholy is often explored in poetry and literature, reflecting the deep emotional landscape of individuals. The dense growth depicted by 鬱 can symbolize not just nature but also the overwhelming feelings that can consume a person's mind.

Memory tip

Imagine a dense forest where the thick trees block out sunlight, making you feel gloomy and melancholic. The character 鬱 resembles a tangled mass of branches (the '鬱' part) overshadowing a person (the '心' component at the bottom, which represents the heart or mind). This visual helps connect the idea of dense growth and the resulting emotional weight.

Meanings of 鬱

yù(yu4)
1melancholy; dense growth
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 鬱

鬱Simplified
29Strokes
鬯Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鬱

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Podcast: 鬱

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AI Study Notes for 鬱

Quick Contrast

抑 (yì) - use 鬱 (yù) when emphasizing deep melancholy or dense growth, while 抑 (yì) conveys suppression or restraint.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 鬱 is typically used in more serious contexts, such as mental health discussions or literary expressions of sorrow. It is more formal and should be used thoughtfully. Common collocations include 鬱症 (depression) and 鬱悶 (melancholy).

HSK Study Tips

Although 鬱 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be related to HSK Level 5 words that deal with emotions and nature. Focus on its usage in literary contexts and how it contrasts with lighter emotions or states.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鬱 with more common terms for sadness, such as 悲伤 (bēishāng). For instance, saying '我感到悲伤' (I feel sad) is correct, but substituting 鬱 incorrectly could sound overly dramatic in casual contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鬱

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Etymology of 鬱

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

Phonosemantic compound. 阝 represents the meaning and 有 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鬱.

Memory hint

forest

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

Origin

鬱 = 林 + 缶. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 鬱

IDS Structure⿱⿻林缶⿱冖⿰鬯�
鬱Full character
=
林Lin2
outer
缶fou3
inner
冖mi4
top
鬯chang4
left
彡shan1
right
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 鬱?

How to say melancholy; dense growth in Chinese

“melancholy; dense growth” in Chinese is鬱yù

The character 鬱 (yù) conveys a sense of melancholy or deep sadness, often associated with feelings of depression. It can also refer to dense growth, typically in a botanical context where plants or trees are thickly clustered together, indicating an overwhelming or suffocating presence.

When to use 鬱

Be mindful that 鬱 is typically used in more serious contexts, such as mental health discussions or literary expressions of sorrow. It is more formal and should be used thoughtfully. Common collocations include 鬱症 (depression) and 鬱悶 (melancholy).

鬱 or something close to it

抑 (yì) - use 鬱 (yù) when emphasizing deep melancholy or dense growth, while 抑 (yì) conveys suppression or restraint.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鬱 with more common terms for sadness, such as 悲伤 (bēishāng). For instance, saying '我感到悲伤' (I feel sad) is correct, but substituting 鬱 incorrectly could sound overly dramatic in casual contexts.

Write 鬱

鬱

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

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Cultural Notes for 鬱

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, melancholy is often romanticized in art and literature, while in Chinese culture, it may be more closely connected to societal pressures and personal struggles, emphasizing the collective experience.

Word Family of 鬱

Words containing this character20
郁闷gloomy鬱悶
抑郁yìyùdepressed抑鬱
忧郁yōuyùsullen憂鬱
抑郁症yìyùzhèngclinical depression抑鬱症
浓郁nóngyùrich濃郁
郁金香tulip鬱金香
郁yùmelancholy鬱
阴郁gloomy陰鬱
郁郁葱葱verdant and lush (idiom)鬱鬱蔥蔥
忧郁症(psychology) depression憂鬱症
郁结mental knot鬱結
郁达夫Yu Dafu (1896-1945), poet and novelist郁達夫
郁郁寡欢depressed鬱鬱寡歡
葱郁verdant蔥鬱
馥郁strongly fragrant馥鬱
积郁pent-up frustrations積鬱
郁郁不得志soured by the loss of one's hopes鬱鬱不得志
郁郁不乐discontented (idiom)鬱鬱不樂
苍郁verdant and luxuriant蒼鬱
郁江Yu River鬱江
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 鬱

What does 郁闷 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鬱

You might say, '我最近感到很鬱,' meaning 'I have been feeling very melancholic lately.'

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