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湖 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
湖húlakeHSK 5, ns, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2794, Hard
湖húlake; Hubei, Hunan; bluish-greenHSK 5, ns, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #2794, Hard
hú(hu2) T2
  1. 1lake
  2. 2lake; Hubei, Hunan; bluish-green
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

湖hú(hu2)

The character '湖' (hú) means 'lake' in Mandarin. It commonly refers to larger bodies of freshwater found in nature and is often used in geographical names, such as provinces or cities in China like Hubei and Hunan. In addition to its literal meaning, '湖' can also connote tranquility and natural beauty.

Strokes12Radical氵Frequency#2794DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

Lakes hold significant cultural importance in Chinese poetry and art, often symbolizing peace and reflection. Famous lakes like West Lake (西湖) in Hangzhou are often celebrated in Chinese literature and tourism.

Memory Tip

Imagine a serene blue-green lake ('湖') reflecting a clear sky. The character resembles a flowing body of water with its curves, and the '氵' radical on the left suggests water, making it easier to remember that this character relates to lakes.

Meanings of 湖

hú(hu2)
1lake
2lake; Hubei, Hunan; bluish-green
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 湖

湖Simplified
12Strokes
氵Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#2794Frequency Rank
个Measure Word
HSK 3.0L5ElementaryTOCFLL2YCTL3HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 湖

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Podcast: 湖

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 湖

Quick Contrast

海 (hǎi, sea) — use '湖' for freshwater bodies, while '海' refers specifically to saltwater bodies.

Usage Notes

When using '湖', be mindful of its measure words; '个' (gè) and '片' (piàn) are common. Avoid confusing '湖' with '河' (hé), which means 'river.' In informal contexts, people might say '湖泊' (húpō) to refer to lakes in general.

HSK Study Tips

Although '湖' is not in the official HSK list, it connects with other nature-related vocabulary at similar levels. Students should focus on pronunciation and the context in which '湖' can appear, such as in names of lakes or provinces.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '湖' with '海' (hǎi), which means 'sea.' For example, saying '我去海' (wǒ qù hǎi) when intending to say 'I go to the lake' is incorrect; it should be '我去湖' (wǒ qù hú).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 湖

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Etymology of 湖

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 胡 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 湖

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 胡 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half胡 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 湖? 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 湖?

Decomposition of 湖

IDS Structure⿰氵胡
湖Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
胡Hu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 湖?

How to say lake in Chinese

“lake” in Chinese is湖hú

The character '湖' (hú) means 'lake' in Mandarin. It commonly refers to larger bodies of freshwater found in nature and is often used in geographical names, such as provinces or cities in China like Hubei and Hunan. In addition to its literal meaning, '湖' can also connote tranquility and natural beauty.

When to use 湖

When using '湖', be mindful of its measure words; '个' (gè) and '片' (piàn) are common. Avoid confusing '湖' with '河' (hé), which means 'river.' In informal contexts, people might say '湖泊' (húpō) to refer to lakes in general.

湖 or something close to it

海 (hǎi, sea) — use '湖' for freshwater bodies, while '海' refers specifically to saltwater bodies.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '湖' with '海' (hǎi), which means 'sea.' For example, saying '我去海' (wǒ qù hǎi) when intending to say 'I go to the lake' is incorrect; it should be '我去湖' (wǒ qù hú).

Write 湖

湖

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 湖

湖 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

他喜欢沿着____散步。

He likes to walk along the lake.

Example Sentences for 湖 (14)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
太湖水位达到了历史最高值。

tài hú shuǐ wèi dá dào le lì shǐ zuì gāo zhí。

The water level in Lake Taihu has reached record levels.
2
湖光旖旎、峭壁峥嵘，游客们被深深吸引了。

hú guāng yǐ nǐ、 、 qiào bì zhēng， róng ， yóu kè mén bèi shēn shēn xī。

The view of lake and plunging cliffs seduces visitors.
3
他拢岸让她下船，然后继续悠闲地在湖上划着。

tā lǒng àn ràng tā xià chuán， ， rán hòu jì xù yōu xián dì zài hú shàng huá。

He rowed her ashore and then continued trolling around the lake.
4
孩子们觉得乔治湖村是个绝妙的游乐园。

hái zǐ mén jué dé qiáo zhì hú cūn shì gè jué miào de yóu lè yuán。

Children find Lake George Village a wonderland of amusement parks.
5
他匆匆地迈着沉重的步伐绕过湖边向花园走去。

tā cōng cōng dì mài zháo chén zhòng de bù fá rào guò hú biān xiàng huā yuán zǒu qù。

He tramped hurriedly round the lake towards the garden.
6
我们正排成一列朝湖边走去。

wǒ mén zhèng pái chéng yī liè zhāo hú biān zǒu qù。

We were walking in single file to the lake.
7
洞口大半都淹没在湖里。

dòng kǒu dà bàn dū yān méi zài hú lǐ。

Most of the mouth of the cave was submerged in the lake.
8
有人在湖上游泳和扬帆。

yǒu rén zài hú shàng yóu yǒng hé yáng fān。

There was swimming and sailing down on the lake.
9
溢出的湖水倾泻而下，形成了一座日式水景花园的瀑布。

yì chū de hú shuǐ qīng xiè ér xià， ， xíng chéng le yī zuò rì shì shuǐ jǐng huā yuán de pù。

The loch's overflow cascades into the waterfalls of a Japanese water garden.
10
暴风雪夹着大团的积雪吹过湖面。

bào fēng xuě jiā zháo dà tuán de jī xuě chuī guò hú miàn。

A blizzard was blasting great drifts of snow across the lake.
11
这个湖位于高山之间，风景如画。

Zhè ge hú wèi yú gāoshān zhī jiān, fēngjǐng rú huà.

This lake is located between mountains and looks like a painting.
12
湖边的野餐让我们感到无比惬意。

Hú biān de yěcān ràng wǒmen gǎndào wúbǐ qièyì.

The picnic by the lake made us feel extremely comfortable.
13
每年春天，湖上的樱花吸引大量游客前来观赏。

Měinián chūntiān, hú shàng de yīnghuā xīyǐn dàliàng yóukè qián lái guānshǎng.

Every spring, the cherry blossoms by the lake attract many tourists to visit.
14
湖的周围有一条长长的小径供人们散步。

Hú de zhōuwéi yǒu yī tiáo chángcháng de xiǎojìng gōng rénmen sànbù.

There is a long path around the lake for people to walk.

Word Family of 湖

Words Containing This Character20
湖húlake
江湖rivers and lakes
湖边lakeside湖邊
湖南Hunan province in south central China, abbr. 湘, capital Changsha 長沙|长沙[Cháng​shā]
湖北Hubei Province (Hupeh) in central China, abbr. 鄂[E], capital Wuhan 武漢|武汉[Wǔ​hàn]
盐湖城Salt Lake City, capital of Utah鹽湖城
西湖Xihu or West lake (place name)
湖南省Hunan Province in south central China, abbr. 湘[Xiāng], capital Changsha 長沙|长沙[Cháng​shā]
湖泊húpōlake
湖北省Hubei Province (Hupeh) in central China, abbr. 鄂[E], capital Wuhan 武漢|武汉[Wǔ​hàn]
湖畔lakeside
湖滨Lakeside district湖濱
太湖Lake Tai near Wuxi City 無錫|无锡, bordering on Jiangsu and Zhejiang, one of China's largest freshwater lakes
大湖Dahu or Tahu township in Miaoli county 苗栗縣|苗栗县[Miáo​lì​xiàn], northwest Taiwan
东湖Donghu district of Nanchang city 南昌市, Jiangxi東湖
湖州Huzhou prefecture-level city in Zhejiang
芜湖Wuhu prefecture level city in Anhui蕪湖
千岛湖Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang, aka Xin'an River Reservoir, created as part of a large hydroelectric project in 1959千島湖
南湖Nanhu district of Jiaxing city 嘉興市|嘉兴市[Jiā​xīng​shì], Zhejiang
老江湖a much-travelled person, well acquainted with the ways of the world
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 湖 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 湖

'湖' is pronounced as 'hú' with a rising tone, similar to how you might ask a question.

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