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投 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
投
tóu
to cast
HSK 5, vn, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1233, Hard
投
tóu
to send
HSK 5, vn, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1233, Hard
投
tóu
to throw oneself (into the river etc)
HSK 5, vn, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1233, Hard
投
tóu
to seek refuge
HSK 5, vn, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1233, Hard
投
tóu
to place oneself into the hands of
HSK 5, vn, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1233, Hard
投
tóu
to pitch, to throw; to bid, to invest
HSK 5, vn, 7 strokes, radical 扌, rank #1233, Hard
tóu(tou2)tou T2
1to cast
2to send
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March 24, 2026
投tóu(tou2)
The character 投 (tóu) primarily means 'to throw' or 'to cast,' and can refer to both physical actions like throwing an object as well as metaphorical actions such as investing or placing one's trust in something. It is commonly used in contexts like 投资 (tóuzī), meaning 'to invest,' or when discussing throwing oneself into a situation, such as seeking refuge.
Strokes7Radical扌Frequency#1233DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, 投资 (tóuzī) is not just about financial investment; it encompasses investing time and effort into relationships and personal development, reflecting the value placed on long-term commitment.
Memory tip
Imagine a person throwing a fishing line into the water. The line represents 投 (tóu) as it signifies casting or sending something out. The left side of the character resembles a hand that is throwing, while the right side suggests movement, reinforcing the idea of sending something away.
Meanings of 投
tóu(tou2)
1to cast
2to send
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 投
投Simplified
7Strokes
扌Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#1233Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 投
Podcast: 投
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AI study notes for 投
Quick Contrast
投 (tóu) vs 扔 (rēng) — use 投 when emphasizing the act of throwing with intention or purpose, while 扔 focuses more on the act of discarding or throwing away.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tones; 投 (tóu) has a falling tone, which is essential for correct pronunciation. A common mistake is confusing it with the word for 'receive' (收, shōu), which has a different meaning and tone. It is often used in formal contexts like business discussions or investment talks.
HSK Study Tips
While 投 is not a specific HSK level word, it connects well with HSK 4 vocabulary related to business and investment. Focus on using it in phrases that involve action or decision-making, as it often appears in compound words like 投票 (tóupiào, 'to vote') and 投资 (tóuzī, 'to invest').
Common Mistakes
Learners often incorrectly use 投 in contexts where they should use 送 (sòng), which means 'to send.' For example, saying 投信 (tóuxìn) instead of 送信 (sòngxìn) for 'to send a letter' is a common error.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 投
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Learning Lab
Knowing 投 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.
投 = 扌 + 殳. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 投
IDS Structure⿰扌殳
投Full character
=
扌shou3
left
殳Shu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 投?
How to say to cast in Chinese
“to cast” in Chinese is投tóu
The character 投 (tóu) primarily means 'to throw' or 'to cast,' and can refer to both physical actions like throwing an object as well as metaphorical actions such as investing or placing one's trust in something. It is commonly used in contexts like 投资 (tóuzī), meaning 'to invest,' or when discussing throwing oneself into a situation, such as seeking refuge.
When to use 投
Be cautious with the tones; 投 (tóu) has a falling tone, which is essential for correct pronunciation. A common mistake is confusing it with the word for 'receive' (收, shōu), which has a different meaning and tone. It is often used in formal contexts like business discussions or investment talks.
投 or something close to it
投 (tóu) vs 扔 (rēng) — use 投 when emphasizing the act of throwing with intention or purpose, while 扔 focuses more on the act of discarding or throwing away.
What learners get wrong
Learners often incorrectly use 投 in contexts where they should use 送 (sòng), which means 'to send.' For example, saying 投信 (tóuxìn) instead of 送信 (sòngxìn) for 'to send a letter' is a common error.
Write 投
投
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Practice writing 投 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 投
投 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 6 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.
There has been a busy start to polling in today's local elections.
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Word Family of 投
Words containing this character20
投资tóuzīinvestment投資
投票tóupiàoto vote
投tóuto cast
投入tóurùto throw into
投资者tóuzīzhěinvestor投資者
投诉tóusùcomplaint投訴
投降tóuxiángto surrender
投放tóufàngto input
投篮tóulánto shoot for the basket (basketball)投籃
投手tóushǒuthrower
投机tóujīopportunistic投機
投资人tóuzīréninvestor投資人
投标tóubiāoto bid投標
投产tóuchǎnto put into production投產
投稿tóugǎoto contribute (writing)
投身tóushēnto throw oneself into sth
走投无路zǒutóuwúlùin a tight spot走投無路
投保tóubǎoto insure
投影tóuyǐngto project
投靠tóukàoto rely on help from sb
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 投
What does 投资 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 投
Some common phrases that include 投 are 投资 (tóuzī), meaning 'to invest', and 投诉 (tóusù), which means 'to complain'. These phrases show the versatility of the character in different contexts.
Yes, 投 can be used in idiomatic expressions such as 投桃报李 (tóutáo bàolǐ), which means 'to return a favor'. This highlights the character's broader use in conveying ideas related to reciprocity and exchange.
投 (tóu) means to cast, send, or throw oneself into something. It can also refer to seeking refuge or placing oneself into the hands of someone. This character is commonly used in various contexts, such as 投票 (tóupiào) meaning 'to vote'.
You can use 投 in sentences like '我投了一个票' (wǒ tóu le yīgè piào), which means 'I cast a vote'. Another example is '他投身于慈善工作' (tā tóushēn yú cìshàn gōngzuò), meaning 'He threw himself into charity work'.
You can say 投资股市 (tóuzī gǔshì), meaning 'to invest in the stock market.'
Common phrases include 投票 (tóupiào, 'to vote') and 投诉 (tóusù, 'to file a complaint').
Yes, 投 can be used in both formal discussions about business and informal conversation about throwing or casting.
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