How to Write 倒 (dǎo/dào) — Meaning “To fall; to pour; conversely; upside down.”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember 倒?

Imagine a person (亻) arriving (到) at a slippery spot and falling down. The sound dǎo is like 'down', so you can think 'person goes down' when you see it.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing 倒?

Write the left radical 亻 first with two quick strokes. The right part 到 has a tall 至 on top; make sure its last horizontal line is short so the knife radical 刂 fits next to it. A common mistake is making the 至 too wide, which throws off the balance.

Q: How is 倒 different from 佩 and 佬?

All three share the person radical 亻, but 佩 (pèi) means to wear or admire and has a different right side (几+巾). 佬 (lǎo) means an adult man or guy, with the right side 老. 倒 (dǎo/dào) is about falling, pouring, or being upside down—completely different meanings.

Q: When and how is 倒 used in modern Chinese?

倒 has two common pronunciations: dǎo (to fall, as in 摔倒 shuāi dǎo) and dào (upside down or pour, as in 倒影 dào yǐng). You will often see it in words about accidents (摔倒), business failure (倒闭 dǎo bì), or reflections and reversing order. It is a practical HSK 2 character for everyday situations.

Q: What common words use 倒?

Common words containing 倒 include: 摔倒 (shuāi dǎo) — to fall down; to trip and fall; 倒闭 (dǎo bì) — go bankrupt; close down; 倒影 (dào yǐng) — Reflection (in water).

dǎo/dào HSK Level 2 10 strokes Radical: 亻

倒 (dǎo/dào) means "To fall; to pour; conversely; upside down." in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical 亻, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 3.4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 56% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 摔倒 (shuāi dǎo), 倒闭 (dǎo bì), 倒影 (dào yǐng).

Due to its 10 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 倒 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 倒 (dǎo/dào)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 倒 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 倒

The character 倒 (dǎo/dào) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 亻 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does dǎo/dào (倒) Mean in Chinese?

倒 means To fall; to pour; conversely; upside down..

This is a polyphonic character with readings: dǎo, dào.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 倒 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character	倒
Pinyin	dǎo / dào (dao)
Meaning	To fall; to pour; conversely; upside down.
Strokes	10
Radical	亻
HSK Level	2
Difficulty	3.4/5

Origin of 倒

倒 combines the radical 亻 (person) with 到 (to arrive), suggesting a person arriving and then falling over or being reversed. The character originally depicted a person tipping over, hence meanings like to fall, to pour, or upside down.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a person (亻) who arrives (到) at a slippery floor and immediately falls backward (倒).

Common Words with 倒

摔倒 shuāi dǎo

to fall down; to trip and fall

倒闭 dǎo bì

go bankrupt; close down

倒影 dào yǐng

Reflection (in water)

倒车 dào chē

To reverse a car.

Example Sentences

路上有冰，走路要小心不要摔倒。

lù shàng yǒu bīng zǒu lù yào xiǎo xīn bú yào shuāi dǎo

There is ice on the road; be careful not to slip and fall.

这家商场因为经营不善倒闭了。

zhè jiā shāng chǎng yīn wèi jīng yíng bù shàn dǎo bì le

This shopping mall went out of business due to poor management.

湖面上映射着柳树的倒影。

hú miàn shàng yìng shè zhe liǔ shù de dào yǐng

The reflection of the willow trees is mirrored on the lake surface.

在狭窄的巷子里倒车非常考验技术。

zài xiá zhǎi de xiàng zi lǐ dào chē fēi cháng kǎo yàn jì shù

Reversing a car in a narrow alley is a real test of skill.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
倒 (current)	dǎo / dào	10	亻
佩	pèi	8	亻
佬	lǎo	8	亻
佯	yáng	8	亻

Practice Writing 倒 (dǎo/dào)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 倒 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 倒

What are the components of 倒 and how do they relate to its meaning?

倒 is made of the radical 亻 (person) on the left and 到 (dào, to arrive) on the right. The person radical suggests a human action, while 到 gives a phonetic clue to the pronunciation. Together, they create the idea of a person arriving and then falling or tipping over.

What is a good memory trick to remember 倒?

What should I watch out for when writing 倒?

How is 倒 different from 佩 and 佬?

When and how is 倒 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 倒?

How to Write 倒 (dǎo/dào) — Meaning “To fall; to pour; conversely; upside down.”

Practice Writing 倒 (dǎo/dào)

How to Write 倒

What Does dǎo/dào (倒) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 倒

Common Words with 倒

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 倒 (dǎo/dào)

Frequently Asked Questions about 倒

More HSK Level 2 Characters

Characters with Radical 亻

Other 10-Stroke Characters