Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
耗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
耗
hào
to waste
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
to spend
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
to consume
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
to squander
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
news
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
(coll.) to delay
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
to dilly-dally
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
耗
hào
to consume, to use up; to squander, to waste
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 耒, rank #7922, Very Hard
hào(hao4)hao T4
1to waste
2to spend
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
耗hào(hao4)
The character 耗 (hào) primarily means 'to waste' or 'to consume.' It is often used in contexts relating to the expenditure of resources, such as time or money. In informal usage, it can also imply procrastination or dilly-dallying, indicating a sense of inefficiency or squandering potential.
Strokes10Radical耒Frequency#7922DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, efficiency is highly valued, and the concept of wasting time or resources is often criticized. The idea of being '耗' can reflect poorly on one's character in both personal and professional settings.
Memory tip
Picture a person wasting time by dilly-dallying instead of completing tasks. The radical 耗 resembles a person who has thrown away precious resources, and the pronunciation 'hào' can sound like 'how,' as in 'How much are you wasting?' This visual and auditory connection reinforces the concept of wastefulness.
Meanings of 耗
hào(hao4)
1to waste
2to spend
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 耗 means.
About 耗
耗Simplified
10Strokes
耒Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7922Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 耗
Podcast: 耗
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI study notes for 耗
Quick Contrast
消耗 (xiāohào) vs 耗 (hào): use 耗 when emphasizing wastefulness or inefficiency, while 消耗 focuses more on the process of consumption or expenditure.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 耗 (hào) with similar-sounding characters like 好 (hǎo), which means 'good.' This word is more common in informal contexts where procrastination is discussed. Common collocations include 耗费 (hàofèi, to waste expenditure) and 耗时 (hàoshí, to take time).
HSK Study Tips
Although 耗 is not currently included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to other HSK words about consumption, such as 消费 (xiāofèi, to consume). Students at this level should focus on understanding its usage in both formal and informal contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 耗 with similar-sounding words. For example, saying '我不想耗时间' (wǒ bù xiǎng hào shíjiān) is correct, but confusing it with 好 (hǎo) might lead to saying '我不想好时间,' which is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 耗
Premium — Locked
Tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 耗, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 耗 through them.
Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.
How well do you know 耗?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 耗 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
耗 = 耒 + 毛. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 耗
IDS Structure⿰耒毛
耗Full character
=
耒lei3
left
毛Mao2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 耗?
How to say to waste in Chinese
“to waste” in Chinese is耗hào
The character 耗 (hào) primarily means 'to waste' or 'to consume.' It is often used in contexts relating to the expenditure of resources, such as time or money. In informal usage, it can also imply procrastination or dilly-dallying, indicating a sense of inefficiency or squandering potential.
When to use 耗
Be careful not to confuse 耗 (hào) with similar-sounding characters like 好 (hǎo), which means 'good.' This word is more common in informal contexts where procrastination is discussed. Common collocations include 耗费 (hàofèi, to waste expenditure) and 耗时 (hàoshí, to take time).
耗 or something close to it
消耗 (xiāohào) vs 耗 (hào): use 耗 when emphasizing wastefulness or inefficiency, while 消耗 focuses more on the process of consumption or expenditure.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 耗 with similar-sounding words. For example, saying '我不想耗时间' (wǒ bù xiǎng hào shíjiān) is correct, but confusing it with 好 (hǎo) might lead to saying '我不想好时间,' which is incorrect.
Write 耗
耗
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 耗 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar patterns of 耗
耗 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
新的购物中心____资110万建成。
The new shopping centre was constructed at a cost of 1 million.
Example sentences for 耗 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
新的购物中心耗资110万建成。
xīn de gòuwùzhōngxīn hào zī110 wàn jiànchéng。
The new shopping centre was constructed at a cost of 1 million.
