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瘸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
瘸
qué
lame
HSK 7, v, 16 strokes, radical 疒, rank #10748, Very Hard
瘸
qué
lameness; paralysis of the hands or legs
HSK 7, v, 16 strokes, radical 疒, rank #10748, Very Hard
qué(que2)que T2
1lame
2lameness; paralysis of the hands or legs
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March 24, 2026
瘸qué(que2)
The character 瘸 (qué) refers to a condition of lameness, typically affecting the legs or sometimes the hands. It can denote a physical disability or paralysis that impairs mobility. This term is often used in both medical contexts and when describing someone who limps.
Strokes16Radical疒Frequency#10748DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of lameness can be associated with historical figures or folklore, where physical impairments often symbolize resilience or strength in overcoming adversity.
Memory tip
Imagine a 'quirky' person (sounds like qué) who walks with a limp because of a leg injury. The character 瘸 has the radical for illness (病) on the left, indicating a medical condition affecting movement.
Meanings of 瘸
qué(que2)
1lame
2lameness; paralysis of the hands or legs
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 瘸 means.
About 瘸
瘸Simplified
16Strokes
疒Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#10748Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7HSKKL3CEFRC1
Podcast: 瘸
Podcast: 瘸
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AI study notes for 瘸
Quick Contrast
跛 (bǒ) - use 瘸 (qué) when emphasizing the condition of lameness itself, while 跛 (bǒ) often refers to the action of limping.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 瘸 with other characters related to disability or impairment. It is often used in a neutral or clinical context, so be cautious of potential sensitivity. Common collocations include 瘸腿 (lame leg) or 瘸子 (a lame person).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 6 word, 瘸 connects to other terms describing physical conditions or disabilities. Focus on the nuances in context, such as when to use it versus other terms like 残疾 (cánjí) for disability.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mix up 瘸 with other similar-sounding terms, leading to confusion. For example, saying '我瘸了手' (I am lame in my hand) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我手瘸了' (My hand is lame).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 瘸
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Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 瘸 is seven skills, not one.
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瘸 = 疒 + 加. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 瘸
IDS Structure⿸疒⿱加肉
瘸Full character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
加Jia1
top
肉rou4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3
Parts
Which of these is part of 瘸?
How to say lame in Chinese
“lame” in Chinese is瘸qué
The character 瘸 (qué) refers to a condition of lameness, typically affecting the legs or sometimes the hands. It can denote a physical disability or paralysis that impairs mobility. This term is often used in both medical contexts and when describing someone who limps.
When to use 瘸
Be careful not to confuse 瘸 with other characters related to disability or impairment. It is often used in a neutral or clinical context, so be cautious of potential sensitivity. Common collocations include 瘸腿 (lame leg) or 瘸子 (a lame person).
瘸 or something close to it
跛 (bǒ) - use 瘸 (qué) when emphasizing the condition of lameness itself, while 跛 (bǒ) often refers to the action of limping.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mix up 瘸 with other similar-sounding terms, leading to confusion. For example, saying '我瘸了手' (I am lame in my hand) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我手瘸了' (My hand is lame).
Write 瘸
瘸
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Practice writing 瘸 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 瘸
瘸 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 2 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
26分钟之后他一____一拐地走出来，显得孤单凄凉。
He looked a forlorn figure as he limped off after 26 minutes.
Example sentences for 瘸 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
26分钟之后他一瘸一拐地走出来，显得孤单凄凉。
26 fēnzhōng zhīhòu tā yī qué yī guǎi dì zǒu chūlái， xiǎnde gūdān qīliáng。
He looked a forlorn figure as he limped off after 26 minutes.
2
斯科特的肌肉萎缩，一条腿发育不完全，成了个瘸子。
Sī kē tè de jīròu wěisuō， yī tiáo tuǐ fāyù bù wánquán， chéng le gè qué zi。
Scott's muscle atrophied, his leg became stunted, and he was left lame.
3
他走路时一瘸一拐的，那是小儿麻痹的后遗症。
tā zǒulù shí yī qué yī guǎi de， nà shì xiǎo ér mábì de hòuyízhèng。
He dragged a foot when he walked, a leftover from polio.
4
他费力地拄着拐杖，一瘸一拐地着向汽车走去。
tā fèilì dì zhǔ zhe guǎizhàng， yī qué yī guǎi dì zhe xiàng qìchē zǒu qù。
Using his stick heavily, he moved jerkily towards the car.
5
他幼年患过小儿麻痹症，结果腿就瘸了。
tā yòu nián huàn guò xiǎo ér mábì zhēng， jiéguǒ tuǐ jiù qué le。
He was crippled by polio as a child.
6
那只美洲驼有一只腿瘸.
nà zhī měi zhōu tuó yǒu yī zhī tuǐ qué.
The llama has a lame leg.
7
他一瘸一拐地离开了运动场.
tā yī qué yī guǎi dì líkāi le yùndòng chǎng.
He limped off the playground.
8
我伤得不重，但一条大腿伤到了，只好一瘸一拐地走。
wǒ shāng de bù zhòng， dàn yī tiáo dà tuǐ shāng dào le， zhǐhǎo yī qué yī guǎi dì zǒu。
I wasn't badly hurt, but I injured my thigh and had to limp.
9
戴维不得不退出锦标赛，因为他的马瘸了。
dài wéi bùdébù tuìchū jǐn biāo sài， yīnwèi tā de mǎ qué le。
David had to pull out of the Championships when his horse went lame.
10
肿胀已经开始消退，他能忍着痛一瘸一拐地走了。
zhǒng zhàng yǐjīng kāishǐ xiāo tuì， tā néng rěn zhe tòng yī qué yī guǎi dì zǒu le。
The swelling had begun to go down, and he was able, with pain, to hobble.
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Word Family of 瘸
Words containing this character4
瘸quélame
瘸子quézilame person (colloquial)
一瘸一拐yìquéyìguǎito limp
瘸腿quétuǐcrippled
Exercise 1 of 3
Words with 瘸
What does 瘸子 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 瘸
While it is often used in medical discussions, it can also describe someone's walking ability in everyday contexts.
Yes, it can be used metaphorically to describe something that is flawed or impaired, not just in a physical sense.
瘸 refers specifically to lameness, while 残疾 encompasses broader disabilities, which may not always involve lameness.
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