How to Write 陡 (dǒu) — Meaning “steep”

Imagine a person walking (走) up a steep hill (阝) and suddenly slipping — that sudden slip is the "陡" feeling. You can also think of the word "陡峭" and picture a cliff that is so steep it makes you dizzy.

The left radical 阝 has two strokes: a curved horizontal line then a vertical stroke, ending with a hook. The right part 走 must be written carefully — the bottom is not 止 but a modified form with a horizontal stroke at the top and a sweeping final stroke. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep it balanced and narrow.

陡 means "steep" and has the 走 component on the right; 邮 (yóu) means "post" or "mail" and has 由 on the right; 邯 (hán) is part of the city name 邯郸 and has 甘 on the right. Visually, the right side of 陡 contains a walk-like shape, while 邮 and 邯 have simpler right-side radicals.

陡 is commonly used to describe physical slopes, as in 陡坡 (steep slope) or 陡峭 (precipitous). It also appears in the adverb 陡然, meaning "suddenly" or "abruptly," often describing a quick change in condition, like 气温陡然下降 (the temperature suddenly dropped). You will not see it in basic HSK vocabulary, but it is essential for describing terrain or sharp changes.

Common words containing 陡 include: 陡峭 (dǒu qiào) — precipitous; 陡坡 (dǒu pō) — steep slope; 陡然 (dǒu rán) — suddenly.