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厚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
厚
hòu
thick
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
deep or profound
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
kind
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
generous
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
rich or strong in flavor
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
to favor
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
to stress
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
厚
hòu
generous; substantial; deep (as a friendship)
HSK 4, a, 9 strokes, radical 厂, rank #4609, Medium
hòu(hou4)hou T4
1thick
2deep or profound
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March 24, 2026
厚hòu(hou4)
The character 厚 (hòu) primarily means 'thick' or 'deep,' often in a physical sense, such as describing the thickness of a book or a layer of material. It can also convey depth in a more abstract way, such as in friendships or kindness, suggesting a strong or substantial quality. In culinary contexts, it refers to rich or strong flavors.
Strokes9Radical厂Frequency#4609DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 厚 often reflects the value placed on deep relationships and generosity. A '厚道' (hòudào) person is someone who is kind-hearted and trustworthy, embodying the cultural importance of loyalty and generosity.
Memory tip
Imagine a 'thick' layer of 'honey' (sounds like 'hòu') that is so 'deep' you can barely see the bottom. The character 厚 visually resembles a roof (at the top) resting on a thick base, symbolizing strength and support.
Meanings of 厚
hòu(hou4)
1thick
2deep or profound
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 厚
厚Simplified
9Strokes
厂Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#4609Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 厚
Podcast: 厚
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AI study notes for 厚
Quick Contrast
厚 (hòu) vs 深 (shēn) — use 厚 when describing physical thickness or substantial qualities, while 深 is used for depth in a more abstract or spatial sense.
Usage Notes
When using 厚, it is important to match it with appropriate nouns, such as 厚书 (thick book) or 厚友 (close friend). Be cautious of tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely, as in hǒu (another character) which means 'to roar.' The term is generally informal but can be used in semi-formal contexts as well.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 厚 connects well with other adjectives describing qualities, such as 薄 (báo - thin) and 深 (shēn - deep). Students should focus on understanding its various contexts and collocations to fully grasp its meaning.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 厚 with 薄 (báo - thin) due to their similar usage contexts. For example, saying 厚书 (thick book) is correct, but mistakenly saying 厚薄 (thick-thin) instead of 厚度 (thickness) is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 厚
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The character 厚 (hòu) primarily means 'thick' or 'deep,' often in a physical sense, such as describing the thickness of a book or a layer of material. It can also convey depth in a more abstract way, such as in friendships or kindness, suggesting a strong or substantial quality. In culinary contexts, it refers to rich or strong flavors.
When to use 厚
When using 厚, it is important to match it with appropriate nouns, such as 厚书 (thick book) or 厚友 (close friend). Be cautious of tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely, as in hǒu (another character) which means 'to roar.' The term is generally informal but can be used in semi-formal contexts as well.
厚 or something close to it
厚 (hòu) vs 深 (shēn) — use 厚 when describing physical thickness or substantial qualities, while 深 is used for depth in a more abstract or spatial sense.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 厚 with 薄 (báo - thin) due to their similar usage contexts. For example, saying 厚书 (thick book) is correct, but mistakenly saying 厚薄 (thick-thin) instead of 厚度 (thickness) is incorrect.
Write 厚
厚
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Grammar patterns of 厚
厚 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
The soup base of this dish is very thick, with a rich flavor.
14
那幅油画使用了厚厚的颜料层，使得画面更加立体。
Nà fú yóuhuà shǐyòng le hòu hòu de yánliào céng, shǐdé huàmiàn gèngjiā lìtǐ.
The oil painting used thick layers of paint, making the image more three-dimensional.
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Word Family of 厚
Words containing this character20
厚hòuthick
丰厚fēnghòugenerous豐厚
深厚shēnhòudeep
厚道hòudaogenerous
厚度hòudùthickness
浓厚nónghòudense濃厚
雄厚xiónghòurobust
厚重hòuzhòngthick
无可厚非wúkěhòufēiunderstandable無可厚非
厚望hòuwànggreat hopes
厚实hòushithick厚實
优厚yōuhòugenerous, liberal (pay, compensation)優厚
厚脸皮hòuliǎnpíbrazen厚臉皮
肥厚féihòuplump
宽厚kuānhòutolerant寬厚
得天独厚détiāndúhòublessed by heaven (idiom)得天獨厚
厚礼hòulǐgenerous gifts厚禮
浑厚húnhòusimple and honest渾厚
憨厚hānhòusimple and honest
醇厚chúnhòumellow and rich
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 厚
What does 丰厚 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 厚
厚 (hòu) means 'thick,' while 薄 (bó) means 'thin.' These terms are often used to describe the physical thickness of objects, but can also apply to concepts like kindness or depth of flavor.
To use 厚 in a sentence, you might say '这本书很厚' (zhè běn shū hěn hòu), which means 'This book is very thick.' You can also use it to describe a person, for example, '他很厚道' (tā hěn hòudào), meaning 'He is very kind-hearted.'
厚 (hòu) means 'thick' or 'deep' in Chinese. It can also describe a person's character as 'kind' or 'generous'. Additionally, it can refer to a rich or strong flavor in food.
Yes, 厚 can describe someone's character or nature, implying they are kind or generous.
Common collocations include 厚厚的书 (a thick book) and 厚情厚谊 (deep affection and friendship).
厚 specifically emphasizes thickness or depth, while other adjectives like 薄 (thin) focus on the opposite quality.
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