垢 (gòu) is a Chinese character meaning “dirt”. It is written from 土 (earth; soil) and 后 (behind; after; back), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “dirt; grime”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
土 + 后
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿰土后，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「土」，笔画 3–8 与「后」逐笔对应（3+6=9 画）
Memory aid
Earth (土) that stays behind (后) after everything else is washed away — the grime left on a surface.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 污垢wū gòudirt; grime; filth垢 = gòu
- 牙垢yá gòudental plaque; tartar垢 = gòu
Go deeper
All readings
dirt; grime
dirt; grime; filth built up on a surface
积在物体表面的脏东西；污秽。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 污垢wū gòudirt; grime; filth垢 = gòu
- 牙垢yá gòudental plaque; tartar垢 = gòu
Sound component
后 family onset shift
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 垢 mean?
垢 (gòu) means dirt; grime; filth built up on a surface.
How do you pronounce 垢?
It is pronounced gòu.
What parts is 垢 made of?
土 (earth; soil) and 后 (behind; after; back), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿰土后，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「土」，笔画 3–8 与「后」逐笔对应（3+6=9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 垢 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 垢?
土. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 垢?
Common ones are 污垢 and 牙垢. The reading of 垢 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.