How to Write 堕 (duò) — Meaning “to fall; to sink; to degenerate”

Picture a person standing on a hill (阝) who loses balance and tumbles down to the earth (土). The middle part looks like the person's body or an object falling, helping you recall that 堕 means to fall or degenerate.

Write the left ear 阝 first, then the middle part (a curved dash and a cross-like stroke), and finally 土 at the bottom. A common mistake is making the middle part too wide; keep it narrow and centered so the character stays balanced.

型 means "model" or "type" and has 开 on top with 土 below, while 堕 has a left ear and a complex middle. 垌 means "cave" and is simply 土 on the left and 同 on the right — very different visually. 堕's unique middle part is the key to telling them apart.

堕 appears in formal or serious words like 堕落 (to degenerate morally), 堕入 (to fall into a trap), and 堕胎 (abortion). It carries a negative meaning of decline or falling from grace, so it is often found in news, literature, or discussions about morality and health.

Common words containing 堕 include: 堕落 (duò luò) — to degenerate; to fall; corrupt; 堕入 (duò rù) — to fall into; 堕胎 (duò tāi) — abortion.