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瘸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瘸quélameHSK 7, v, 16 strokes, radical 疒, rank #10748, Very Hard
瘸quélameness; paralysis of the hands or legsHSK 7, v, 16 strokes, radical 疒, rank #10748, Very Hard
qué(que2)que T2
  1. 1lame
  2. 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

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About 瘸

瘸Simplified
16Strokes
疒Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#10748Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7HSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 瘸

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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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Etymology of 瘸

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)加
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

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

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)

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1
26分钟之后他一瘸一拐地走出来,显得孤单凄凉。

26 26 fēn zhōng zhī hòu tā yī qué yī guǎi dì zǒu chū, lái , xiǎn dé gū dān。

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 jī ròu wěi suō, , yī tiáo tuǐ fā yù bù wán, quán , chéng le gè。

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 zǒu lù shí yī qué yī guǎi de, , nà shì xiǎo ér má bì de hòu yí。

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 fèi lì dì zhǔ zháo guǎi zhàng, , yī qué yī guǎi dì zháo xiàng qì chē zǒu。

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 má bì zhèng, , jié guǒ tuǐ jiù qué。

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 lí kāi le yùn dòng cháng.

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 dé bù zhòng, , dàn yī tiáo dà tuǐ shāng dào, le , zhī hǎo yī qué yī guǎi。

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 bù dé bù tuì chū jǐn biāo sài, , yīn wéi tā de mǎ qué。

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 yǐ jīng kāi shǐ xiāo tuì, , tā néng rěn zháo tòng yī qué yī guǎi dì zǒu。

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lame person (colloquial)
一瘸一拐to limp
瘸腿crippled
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.

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