枯 (kū) is a Chinese character meaning “withered”. It is written from 木 (tree; wood) and 古 (old; ancient), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “withered”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
木 + 古
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：木 4 画 + 古 5 画 = 9 画）
Memory aid
A tree (木) on the left tells you this is about plants; 古 on the right hands you a sound close to kū. Picture a tree left standing since ancient times — no sap, no leaves, dried out. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 枯萎kū wěito wither; to wilt枯 = kū
- 干枯gān kūdried up; withered; parched枯 = kū
Go deeper
All readings
withered
withered; dried up; (of a well or river) run dry; dull, lifeless
草木失去水分而干缩凋谢；也指水干涸、内容乏味。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 枯萎kū wěito wither; to wilt枯 = kū
- 干枯gān kūdried up; withered; parched枯 = kū
Sound component
古 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 枯 mean?
枯 (kū) means withered; dried up; (of a well or river) run dry; dull, lifeless.
How do you pronounce 枯?
It is pronounced kū.
What parts is 枯 made of?
木 (tree; wood) and 古 (old; ancient), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：木 4 画 + 古 5 画 = 9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 枯 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 枯?
木. 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 枯?
Common ones are 枯萎 and 干枯. The reading of 枯 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.