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How to Write 毒 (dú) — Meaning “Poison / Toxic”

dú HSK Level 5 9 strokes Radical: 母

毒 (dú) means "Poison / Toxic" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 母, and is HSK Level 5.

Rated 4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 52% of HSK Level 5 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 病毒 (bìng dú), 中毒 (zhòng dú), 毒品 (dú pǐn).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 毒 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 毒 - dú

Practice Writing 毒 (dú)

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How to Write 毒

The character 毒 (dú) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 母 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 dú (毒) Mean in Chinese?

毒 means Poison / Toxic.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 毒 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character毒
Pinyindú (du)
MeaningPoison / Toxic
Strokes9
Radical母
HSK Level5
Difficulty4/5

Origin of 毒

毒 combines 艹 (grass) and 毋 (forbidden), originally depicting a poisonous plant that should be avoided. The component 毋 later merged with 母 in form, reinforcing the idea of something harmful associated with a mother's warning.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a mother (母) nibbling on a grass (艹) and instantly realizing it's poison, spitting it out in disgust.

Common Words with 毒

病毒 bìng dú
virus
中毒 zhòng dú
Poisoning; to be poisoned
毒品 dú pǐn
Drugs / Narcotics

Example Sentences

这种病毒传染很快。

zhè zhǒng bìng dú chuán rǎn hěn kuài

This virus spreads very quickly.

他食物中毒了。

tā shí wù zhòng dú le

He got food poisoning.

我们要远离毒品。

wǒ men yào yuǎn lí dú pǐn

We must stay away from drugs.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
毒 (current) dú 9 母
每 měi 7 母
Stroke order practice for 毒 - dú

Practice Writing 毒 (dú)

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

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 毒

The character 毒 is made of a top part that looks like 生 (life) but missing one stroke, and the bottom part 母 (mother). Together, they suggest something that harms or ends life, which relates to the meaning of poison or toxicity.

More HSK Level 5 Characters

慰wèi岸àn摩mó拔bá拜bài版bǎn扮bàn棒bàng怨yuàn悲bēi辈bèi鼻bí彼bǐ幕mù辑jí宾bīn饼bǐng玻bō璃lí博bó

Characters with Radical 母

母mǔ每měi

Other 9-Stroke Characters

㒸suì㲋chuò㿽xī临lín举jǔ乹gān/qián亭tíng亮liàng亲qīn/qìng侮wǔ