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March 24, 2026
鼕dōng(dong1)
The character 鼕 (dōng) represents the sound made by drums, often used in contexts related to music and celebrations. It can also evoke the rhythm associated with drumming, conveying a sense of energy and excitement in a narrative or descriptive setting.
Strokes18Radical鼓Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
Drumming is an integral part of many Chinese festivals, such as the Lunar New Year celebrations, where the sound of drums is believed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Memory Tip
Imagine a drum that makes a booming sound, 'dōng,' as if it's echoing through a valley. The character 鼕 has a '耳' (ear) radical, hinting at sound, and the '冬' component, which can remind you of winter celebrations with drums and music.
Meanings of 鼕
dōng(dong1)
1the sound of drums
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 鼕
鼕Simplified
18Strokes
鼓Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 鼕
Podcast: 鼕
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AI Study Notes for 鼕
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a drum that makes a booming sound, 'dōng,' as if it's echoing through a valley. The character 鼕 has a '耳' (ear) radical, hinting at sound, and the '冬' component, which can remind you of winter celebrations with drums and music.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse this character with similar-sounding words, so be careful with pronunciation. It is mostly used in informal contexts when discussing music or festivals, and is not commonly seen in formal writing. Ensure you pronounce the 'd' clearly to avoid confusion with other words.
HSK Study Tips
Although 鼕 is not a part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can enhance your understanding of sound-related vocabulary. Focus on its tonal pronunciation and its connection to other sound-related characters like 响 (xiǎng) and 声 (shēng).
Cultural Note
Drumming is an integral part of many Chinese festivals, such as the Lunar New Year celebrations, where the sound of drums is believed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Common Mistakes
Learners might mistakenly use 鼕 when referring to other sounds, leading to confusion. For instance, saying '我听到鼓声的鼕' (Wǒ tīng dào gǔshēng de dōng) is incorrect; you should say '我听到鼓声' (Wǒ tīng dào gǔshēng) to mean 'I hear the sound of the drums.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 鼕
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Cultural Notes for 鼕
🏮Cultural insight
Drumming is an integral part of many Chinese festivals, such as the Lunar New Year celebrations, where the sound of drums is believed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Word Family of 鼕
Words Containing This Character19
冬天dōngtiānwinter
冬dōngrat-a-tat鼕
冬季dōngjìwinter
冬眠hibernation
冬至Winter Solstice, 22nd of the 24 solar terms 二十四節氣|二十四节气 22nd December-5th January
寒冬wintry
冬瓜white gourd
过冬to get through the winter過冬
冬奥会Winter Olympics冬奧會
冬青holly
严冬severe winter嚴冬
立冬Lidong or Start of Winter, 19th of the 24 solar terms 二十四節氣|二十四节气 7th-21st November
隆冬midwinter
越冬to overwinter
初冬early winter
春夏秋冬the four seasons
冬衣winter clothes
忍冬honeysuckle
冬令winter
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 冬天 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 鼕
The correct pronunciation is 'dōng' with a high, level tone.
No, it's more often found in written texts related to music or celebrations rather than in everyday speech.
You can use 声音 (shēngyīn) for 'sound' in general, but for drumming specifically, consider 鼓声 (gǔshēng), which means 'drum sound'.