How to Write 坨 (tuó) — Meaning “lump / heap / mound”

Picture a heap of earth (土) that says "it" (它) — so the whole character means a lump of "it". You can imagine a big lump of soil and tell yourself "that's it — a heap."

Write the left radical 土 first (three strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the right part 它. A common mistake is making the right part too wide; keep it narrow and balanced with the left side. The bottom of both parts should align evenly.

坨 means "lump" or "heap" and has 它 on the right, while 在 (zài) means "at" or "in" and has 才 on the right. 圩 (wéi) means "dam" or "fair" and has 于 on the right. The right-side components are visually distinct, and their meanings are completely unrelated.

坨 is an informal, colloquial character used to describe a lump or heap of something, like dirt, food, or even abstract things (e.g., 一坨饭 "a lump of rice"). It is not taught in HSK and can be considered vulgar when used with certain words (e.g., 一坨屎 "a pile of shit").

Common words containing 坨 include: 一坨 (yī tuó) — a lump; a heap; 坨子 (tuó zi) — lump / mound; 秤坨 (chèng tuó) — steelyard weight.