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堆 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
堆
duī
to pile up
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
to heap up
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
a mass
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
pile
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
heap
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
stack
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
large amount
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
堆
duī
crowd, heap, pile, mass; to pile up; measure word for things in piles or stacks
HSK 5, v, 11 strokes, radical 土, rank #1242, Hard
duī(dui1)dui T1
1to pile up
2to heap up
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March 24, 2026
堆duī(dui1)
堆 (duī) means to pile up or heap together objects in a stacked manner. It is commonly used in contexts involving physical items, like piles of books or heaps of dirt, as well as in metaphorical senses, such as a mass of work or tasks.
Strokes11Radical土Frequency#1242DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of piling items can be related to traditional practices such as stacking offerings during festivals, symbolizing abundance and good fortune.
Memory tip
Imagine a 'dui' (sounds like 'do it') where you are told to 'do it' and pile up your laundry. The character 堆 resembles a stack where the top part is like a roof over the piles beneath, visually representing a heap.
Meanings of 堆
duī(dui1)
1to pile up
2to heap up
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 堆 means.
About 堆
堆Simplified
11Strokes
土Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#1242Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 堆
Podcast: 堆
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AI study notes for 堆
Quick Contrast
堆 (duī) vs 堆积 (duījī) — use 堆 for a general sense of piling, while 堆积 specifically emphasizes accumulation over time.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with tone as '堆' is pronounced with a high level tone (duī), unlike similar-sounding characters. It's often used with measure words like '一堆' (yī duī) to indicate 'a pile of'. Avoid using it in overly formal contexts; it's more suited to everyday language.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 堆 connects well with vocabulary related to quantity and measures. Focus on practicing its usage with different nouns to enhance your ability to describe various heaps or piles effectively.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 堆 with similar characters like '堆积' (to accumulate). For example, saying '我堆积书' is incorrect; instead, use '我堆书' to mean 'I pile books'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 堆
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堆 = 土 + 隹. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 堆
IDS Structure⿰土隹
堆Full character
=
土Tu3
left
隹zhui1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 堆?
How to say to pile up in Chinese
“to pile up” in Chinese is堆duī
堆 (duī) means to pile up or heap together objects in a stacked manner. It is commonly used in contexts involving physical items, like piles of books or heaps of dirt, as well as in metaphorical senses, such as a mass of work or tasks.
When to use 堆
Be cautious with tone as '堆' is pronounced with a high level tone (duī), unlike similar-sounding characters. It's often used with measure words like '一堆' (yī duī) to indicate 'a pile of'. Avoid using it in overly formal contexts; it's more suited to everyday language.
堆 or something close to it
堆 (duī) vs 堆积 (duījī) — use 堆 for a general sense of piling, while 堆积 specifically emphasizes accumulation over time.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 堆 with similar characters like '堆积' (to accumulate). For example, saying '我堆积书' is incorrect; instead, use '我堆书' to mean 'I pile books'.
Write 堆
堆
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Practice writing 堆 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 堆
堆 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 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.
Emergency cooling systems could fail and a reactor meltdown could occur.
6
我有一大堆的问题等着过后问你。
wǒ yǒu yī dà duī de wèntí děng zhe guòhòu wèn nǐ。
I've got a pile of questions afterwards for you.
7
养一大堆孩子让人心力交瘁。
yǎng yī dà duī háizi ràng rén xīn lì jiāo cuì。
Having loads of children takes it out of you.
8
那是一堆枯燥乏味、毫无幽默感的废话。
nà shì yī duī kūzào fá wèi、 háowú yōumò gǎn de fèihuà。
It is a tedious, humourless load of crap.
9
书本经常乱七八糟地堆在地板上。
shū běn jīngcháng luànqībāzāo dì duī zài dìbǎn shàng。
Books are often stacked in higgledy-piggledy piles on the floor.
10
胡志明市的商店里堆满了商品。
hú zhì míng shì de shāngdiàn lǐ duī mǎn le shāngpǐn。
Shops in Ho Chi Minh City are stacked with goods.
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Word Family of 堆
Words containing this character18
堆duīto pile up
一堆yìduīpile
堆积duījīto pile up堆積
垃圾堆lājīduīgarbage heap
堆放duīfàngto pile up
反应堆fǎnyìngduīreactor反應堆
堆满duīmǎnto pile up堆滿
核反应堆héfǎnyìngduīnuclear reactor核反應堆
堆砌duīqìto pack
堆积如山duījīrúshānto pile up like a mountain (idiom)堆積如山
火堆huǒduībonfire
土堆tǔduīmound
堆肥duīféicompost
马王堆mǎwángduīMawangdui in Changsha, Hunan, a recent Han dynasty archaeological site馬王堆
堆叠duīdiéto pile up堆疊
堆栈duīzhànstorehouse堆棧
故纸堆gùzhǐduīa pile of old books故紙堆
堆龙德庆县duīlóngdéqìngxiànDoilungdêqên county, Tibetan: Stod lung bde chen rdzong in Lhasa 拉薩|拉萨[Lāsà], Tibet堆龍德慶縣
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 堆
What does 一堆 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 堆
Some synonyms for 堆 (duī) include 堆积 (duījī), which means 'to accumulate', and 堆放 (duīfàng), meaning 'to place in a pile'. These terms are often used in contexts involving collections or stacks of items.
堆 is pronounced as 'duī' in Mandarin. The pronunciation uses the first tone, which is high and level. You can practice saying it by focusing on maintaining a steady pitch.
堆 (duī) means 'to pile up' or 'to heap up'. It refers to a mass or collection of items stacked together, such as a pile of books or a heap of dirt. This character is often used in everyday contexts to describe things that are stacked or accumulated.
You can use 堆 (duī) in sentences to describe actions involving piling items. For example, '我把书堆在桌子上' means 'I piled the books on the table.' It's commonly used with objects to indicate they are stacked together.
You can say '我把书堆在桌子上' (I piled the books on the table).
Synonyms include '堆积' (to accumulate) and '堆放' (to store in piles).
Yes, it can refer to a pile of work or responsibilities, such as '作业堆得很高' (the homework is piled very high).
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