壶 (hú) is a Chinese character meaning “pot”. It is written from 士 (scholar) and 冖 (cover) and 业 (trade; occupation), and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “pot; kettle”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
士 + 冖 + 业
Top–middle–bottom structure
Structure from: Unicode U+58F6 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形观察（第 1–3 笔为士，第 4–5 笔为冖，第 6–10 笔为业）
Memory aid
Read it top to bottom like a teapot: the scholar (士) on top is the knob, the cover (冖) under it is the lid, and the sturdy base (业) is the pot's body. Knob, lid, body — a pot.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 水壶shuǐ húkettle; water bottle壶 = hú
- 茶壶chá húteapot壶 = hú
Go deeper
All readings
pot; kettle
pot; kettle; jug (a vessel with a spout or handle for holding liquids); measure word for bottles of liquid
一种有嘴、有把或有提梁的容器，用来盛茶、酒、水等液体。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 水壶shuǐ húkettle; water bottle壶 = hú
- 茶壶chá húteapot壶 = hú
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 壶 mean?
壶 (hú) means pot; kettle; jug (a vessel with a spout or handle for holding liquids); measure word for bottles of liquid.
How do you pronounce 壶?
It is pronounced hú.
What parts is 壶 made of?
士 (scholar) and 冖 (cover) and 业 (trade; occupation). The recorded source is: Unicode U+58F6 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形观察（第 1–3 笔为士，第 4–5 笔为冖，第 6–10 笔为业）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 壶 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 壶?
士. 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 壶?
Common ones are 水壶 and 茶壶. The reading of 壶 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.