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坨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
坨tuólump, heapv, 8 strokes, radical 土, rank #8231, Very Hard
tuó(tuo2)tuo T2
  1. 1lump, heap
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March 24, 2026

坨tuó(tuo2)

The character 坨 (tuó) refers to a lump or heap, typically of material such as earth, clay, or food. It is commonly used to describe a pile that is uneven or irregular in shape. In everyday conversation, it may refer to a sizable mass of something that has been gathered together.

Strokes8Radical土Frequency#8231DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In rural Chinese settings, 坨 may refer to a heap of earth used in building traditional homes or a mound of dirt in agriculture, reflecting the importance of land and earth in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big, lumpy mound of clay (the meaning of 坨) that looks like a cheerful, plump 'tuo' (pronounced like 'twa'). The character itself has a flat base, resembling a sturdy heap, and the top part looks like it's slightly rounded, just like a lump.

Meanings of 坨

tuó(tuo2)
1lump, heap
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 坨

坨Simplified
8Strokes
土Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 坨

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Podcast: 坨

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AI Study Notes for 坨

Quick Contrast

堆 (duī) - use 坨 when describing an irregular or uneven mass, while 堆 refers to a neatly arranged pile.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 坨 with similar characters like 坡 (pō, slope) or 堆 (duī, pile), but 坨 specifically implies a lump rather than a structured pile. It is more informal and may not be suitable for formal writing. Common collocations include 坨子 (tuó zi), which refers to a small lump or a heap.

HSK Study Tips

While 坨 is not included in the HSK levels, it can be related to other characters dealing with shapes or volumes that are common in basic vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing this character in context and understanding how it complements more common words.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 坨 in formal contexts where 堆 or other more appropriate terms may fit better. For example, saying '我看到一个坨在桌子上' (I saw a lump on the table) should be corrected to '我看到一堆在桌子上' (I saw a pile on the table) if referring to a more structured group of items.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 坨

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Etymology of 坨

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

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 它 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

earth

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

Origin

坨 = 土 + 它. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 坨

IDS Structure⿰土它
坨Full Character
=
土Tu3
left
它ta1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 坨?

How to say lump, heap in Chinese

“lump, heap” in Chinese is坨tuó

The character 坨 (tuó) refers to a lump or heap, typically of material such as earth, clay, or food. It is commonly used to describe a pile that is uneven or irregular in shape. In everyday conversation, it may refer to a sizable mass of something that has been gathered together.

When to use 坨

Learners often confuse 坨 with similar characters like 坡 (pō, slope) or 堆 (duī, pile), but 坨 specifically implies a lump rather than a structured pile. It is more informal and may not be suitable for formal writing. Common collocations include 坨子 (tuó zi), which refers to a small lump or a heap.

坨 or something close to it

堆 (duī) - use 坨 when describing an irregular or uneven mass, while 堆 refers to a neatly arranged pile.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 坨 in formal contexts where 堆 or other more appropriate terms may fit better. For example, saying '我看到一个坨在桌子上' (I saw a lump on the table) should be corrected to '我看到一堆在桌子上' (I saw a pile on the table) if referring to a more structured group of items.

Write 坨

坨

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

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Word Family of 坨

Words Containing This Character2
坨tuólump
坨子lump
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 坨

What does 坨子 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 坨

While 坨 refers specifically to a lump or heap that is uneven or irregular, 堆 refers to a more organized pile, often implying a stack.

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