土 (tǔ): earth; soil

Meanings

1 earth; soil
2 local; native
3 unsophisticated; rustic

Characters

土

tǔ

earth; soil

A pictograph of a mound of earth — one of the most basic radicals in Chinese.

Examples

这里的土很肥沃。

Zhèlǐ de tǔ hěn féiwò.

The soil here is very fertile.

他穿得很土。

Tā chuān de hěn tǔ.

He dresses in an unsophisticated way.

土豆是一种很常见的蔬菜。

Tǔdòu shì yì zhǒng hěn chángjiàn de shūcài.

Potatoes are a very common vegetable.

Tips

usage

土 as an adjective means 'rustic' or 'uncool' (opposite of 洋, foreign/fashionable). 很土 is a mild insult meaning 'tacky' or 'behind the times.'

usage

Common compounds: 土豆 (potato), 土地 (land), 土壤 (soil), 本土 (native/local).

Components

pictograph

土 tǔ

earth; soil

Pictograph of a small mound of earth resting on the ground line — earth, that which brings forth all things. Distinguished from 士 (scholar) only by stroke length: in 土 the bottom horizontal is longer; in 士 the top is longer. Kangxi radical #32 and one of the most productive components: 地, 场, 城, 坐, 块, 堂, 墙, 基, 圾.