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How to Write 枯 (kū) — Meaning “withered; dried up”

kū HSK Level 7 9 strokes Radical: 木

枯 (kū) means "withered; dried up" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 木, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 41% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 枯萎 (kū wěi), 枯草 (kū cǎo), 枯燥 (kū zào).

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

Stroke order practice for 枯 - kū

Practice Writing 枯 (kū)

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How to Write 枯

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

枯 means withered; dried up.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 枯 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character枯
Pinyinkū (ku)
Meaningwithered; dried up
Strokes9
Radical木
HSK Level7
Difficulty4/5

Origin of 枯

枯 is a compound character with the radical 木 (tree) on the left and the phonetic component 古 (meaning 'old') on the right. An old tree naturally becomes withered and dried up over time, visually linking the components to the meaning.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture an old (古) tree (木) so dried and withered that its bark is cracking off.

Common Words with 枯

枯萎 kū wěi
to wither; to shrivel
枯草 kū cǎo
dried grass
枯燥 kū zào
dull; boring; dry

Example Sentences

花朵已经枯萎了。

huā duǒ yǐ jīng kū wěi le

The flowers have already withered.

这里的草都枯了。

zhè lǐ de cǎo dōu kū le

The grass here has all withered.

这本书的内容很枯燥。

zhè běn shū de nèi róng hěn kū zào

The content of this book is very dull.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
枯 (current) kū 9 木
杆 gān / gǎn 7 木
杈 chā / chà 7 木
杉 shān 7 木
Stroke order practice for 枯 - kū

Practice Writing 枯 (kū)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions about 枯

枯 is made of two parts: the left side 木 (tree) and the right side 古 (old). A tree that is old often becomes dry and withered, so the character's meaning 'withered' comes from this combination.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 木

木mù未wèi末mò本běn札zhá术shù朱zhū朴pō/pǔ朵duǒ机jī

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