荼(tú)

10 strokes

thistle

Print a 荼 worksheet PDFPractice writing 荼

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
tú
Meaning
thistle; common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus); bitter (taste); cruel; flowering grass in profusion
Strokes
10
HSK level
—
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 荼 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿱艹余

In this compound, the meaning comes from 艹 (plant); 余 supplies the sound.

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

艹ǎo余yú

Parts are arranged top to bottom.

How to write 荼 step by step

10 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10

Words with 荼

Common words using 荼 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

tú荼dú毒

(literary) to cause great suffering

Open 荼毒 page →
màn曼tú荼luó罗

(Buddhism) (loanword from Sanskrit) mandala

Open 曼荼罗 page →
rú如huǒ火rú如tú荼

like wildfire (idiom)

Open 如火如荼 page →
qiū秋tú荼mì密wǎng网

flowering autumn grass, fine net (idiom); fig. abundant and exacting punishments prescr…

Open 秋荼密网 page →
tú荼dú毒shēng生líng灵

to torment the people (idiom)

Open 荼毒生灵 page →
shí食tú荼wò卧jí棘

to eat bitter fruit and lie on thorns (idiom); to share the hard life of the common people

Open 食荼卧棘 page →

Related characters

From 荼’s common words

毒曼罗如火秋密网

Ready to master 荼?

Trace 荼 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.

Practice 荼 onlineGenerate worksheet PDFBrowse more characters →