兜 (dōu) is a Chinese character meaning “pocket or pouch”. It is written from 𠔏 (screened on both sides (a person shielded left and right; Shuowen: read like 瞽 gǔ)) and 白 (white; plain), and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “pocket”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
𠔏 + 白
Overlapping structure
- 𠔏 screened on both sides (a person shielded left and right; Shuowen: read like 瞽 gǔ) · gǔ meaning
- 白 white; plain · bái meaning
Structure from: 《说文解字》兜：从𠔏，从皃省（𠔏：象左右皆蔽形）；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（𠔏 6 画：左2+右2+儿2；白 5 画）
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 裤兜kù dōutrouser pocket兜 = dōu
- 兜风dōu fēngto go for a drive or ride; to take a spin兜 = dōu
Go deeper
All readings
pocket; to wrap up; to go around
pocket or pouch; to hold something wrapped in a cloth or pocket; to move around in a circle
口袋一类的东西；用衣襟、布等把东西拢住；绕圈子、兜转。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 裤兜kù dōutrouser pocket兜 = dōu
- 兜风dōu fēngto go for a drive or ride; to take a spin兜 = dōu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 兜 mean?
兜 (dōu) means pocket or pouch; to hold something wrapped in a cloth or pocket; to move around in a circle.
How do you pronounce 兜?
It is pronounced dōu.
What parts is 兜 made of?
𠔏 (screened on both sides (a person shielded left and right; Shuowen: read like 瞽 gǔ)) and 白 (white; plain). The recorded source is: 《说文解字》兜：从𠔏，从皃省（𠔏：象左右皆蔽形）；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（𠔏 6 画：左2+右2+儿2；白 5 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 兜 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 兜?
儿. 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 兜?
Common ones are 裤兜 and 兜风. The reading of 兜 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.