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馱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
馱tuóto carry on one's backx, 13 strokes, radical 馬
tuó(tuo2)tuo T2
  1. 1to carry on one's back
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March 24, 2026

馱tuó(tuo2)

The character 馱 (tuó) means 'to carry on one's back' and is often used in contexts related to transportation, especially of burdens or people. It can also imply the act of bearing or supporting weight in a physical sense, often associated with animals like horses or donkeys used for carrying loads.

Strokes13Radical馬
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, pack animals like horses and donkeys played a crucial role in trade and transportation, especially in rural areas. The character 馱 reflects this historical reliance on animals for carrying goods and people.

Memory tip

Imagine a sturdy donkey (the radical 馬, meaning horse) carrying a heavy backpack on its back. The image of the donkey laboring under the weight connects to the sound 'tuó' and the meaning of carrying something on one's back.

Meanings of 馱

tuó(tuo2)
1to carry on one's back
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 馱

馱Simplified
13Strokes
馬Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 馱

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AI study notes for 馱

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 馱 with similar sounding characters that have different meanings. This word is more formal and may not be used in everyday casual conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '背馱' (bēi tuó), meaning 'to carry on one's back'.

HSK Study Tips

Although 馱 is not included in the HSK levels, it is useful for learners at the HSK 4-5 level who are expanding their vocabulary around transportation and physical actions. Focus on memorizing the character's components and pronunciation to aid in retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 馱 with 背 (bēi), which also means 'to carry' but in a more general sense. Remember that 馱 specifically implies carrying something on one's back, while 背 can refer to carrying in various ways.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 馱

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Etymology of 馱

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

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 大 represents the sound. Simplified form of 馱.

Memory hint

horse

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

Origin

馱 = 馬 + 大. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 馱

IDS Structure⿰馬大
馱Full character
=
馬ma3
left
大da4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 馱?

How to say to carry on one's back in Chinese

“to carry on one's back” in Chinese is馱tuó

The character 馱 (tuó) means 'to carry on one's back' and is often used in contexts related to transportation, especially of burdens or people. It can also imply the act of bearing or supporting weight in a physical sense, often associated with animals like horses or donkeys used for carrying loads.

When to use 馱

Be careful not to confuse 馱 with similar sounding characters that have different meanings. This word is more formal and may not be used in everyday casual conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '背馱' (bēi tuó), meaning 'to carry on one's back'.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 馱 with 背 (bēi), which also means 'to carry' but in a more general sense. Remember that 馱 specifically implies carrying something on one's back, while 背 can refer to carrying in various ways.

Write 馱

馱

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

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Word Family of 馱

Words containing this character4
驮duòto carry on one's back䭾
驮马pack horse馱馬
驮子pack animal's load馱子
驮篓pannier馱簍
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 馱

What does 驮 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 馱

It is pronounced 'tuó' with a rising tone.

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