Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
髅(髏)lóu(lou2)
髅 (lóu) refers specifically to the skull or skeleton in anatomical terms. It is often used in medical or scientific contexts when discussing human or animal bones. The character may also evoke themes of death or the macabre in literature and popular culture.
Strokes18Radical骨Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the skull is often associated with traditional medicine and concepts of health and illness. The study of bones and anatomy has historical significance in Chinese medicine, where understanding the body is crucial.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'low' (lóu) skull lying on the ground. The character 髅 has a radical related to bones (髟) on top, while the lower part (婁) can remind you of something 'low' and flat, like a skull without its body.
Meanings of 髅
lóu(lou2)
1skull, skeleton
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 髅
髅Simplified
髏Traditional
18Strokes
骨Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 髅
Podcast: 髅
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 髅
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a 'low' (lóu) skull lying on the ground. The character 髅 has a radical related to bones (髟) on top, while the lower part (婁) can remind you of something 'low' and flat, like a skull without its body.
Usage Notes
髅 is not commonly used in everyday conversation and is more prevalent in specialized contexts such as biology or anatomy. Learners should be careful to use it in the correct context to avoid sounding overly formal or technical in casual conversations.
HSK Study Tips
髅 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, so learners should focus on anatomy-related vocabulary instead. Understanding characters related to body parts can enhance comprehension of texts in medical or health-related fields.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the skull is often associated with traditional medicine and concepts of health and illness. The study of bones and anatomy has historical significance in Chinese medicine, where understanding the body is crucial.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 髅 with other characters related to the head or bones, such as 头 (tóu) for head. For example, saying '我有一个髅' (Wǒ yǒu yīgè lóu) to mean 'I have a head' is incorrect; it should be '我有一个头' (Wǒ yǒu yīgè tóu).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 髅
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 髅 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 髅 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 髅
髅 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
骷____岛,东南东偏东.
Skeleton Island E . S . E . and by E.
Example Sentences for 髅 (3)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
骷髅岛,东南东偏东.
kū lóu dǎo, , dōng nán dōng piān.
Skeleton Island E . S . E . and by E.
2
最初粗糙地刻在墓碑上的骷髅与 交叉 的大腿骨图形,已为带翅膀的天使所代替.
zuì chū cū cāo dì kè zài mù bēi shàng de kū lóu yǔ jiāo chā de dà tuǐ gǔ, tú xíng , yǐ wéi dài chì bǎng de tiān shǐ.
The skull - and - crossbones crudely carved on the first tombstones was replaced by a winged cherub.
3
他的身子和脸很相配, 瘦得象骷髅.
tā de shēn zǐ hé liǎn hěn xiāng pèi, , shòu dé xiàng kū.
His face matched his body, and was lean, almost cadaverous.
Exercise 1 of 1
Reorder the Sentence
Skeleton Island E . S . E . and by E.
Tap tokens to build the sentence
Cultural Notes for 髅
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the skull is often associated with traditional medicine and concepts of health and illness. The study of bones and anatomy has historical significance in Chinese medicine, where understanding the body is crucial.
Word Family of 髅
Words Containing This Character2
骷髅human skeleton骷髏
髅lóuskull髏
Exercise 1 of 2
Compound Meaning
What does 骷髅 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 髅
No, 髅 is typically used in specialized contexts, such as medical discussions.
头骨 (tóugǔ) is a more common term for skull in everyday language, while 髅 is more technical.
