窝 (wō) · nest, den, lair

Measure Word

一个窝 gè

Meanings

1 nest
2 den
3 lair
4 pit
5 measure word for litters or broods (of young animals)

Characters

窝

wō

nest; den; pit

Examples

HSK 3

鸟儿在树上做了一个窝。

Niǎor zài shùshàng zuò le yígè wō.

The bird made a nest in the tree.

HSK 4

他整天窝在家里。

Tā zhěngtiān wō zài jiālǐ.

He stayed cooped up at home all day.

HSK 4

我家的猫生了一窝小猫。

Wǒ jiā de māo shēng le yì wō xiǎomāo.

Our cat had a litter of kittens.

Tips

usage

窝 can also be used as a verb meaning "to stay/huddle in one place," as in 窝在家里 (cooped up at home). It can also mean a dent or pit (e.g., 酒窝 dimple).

Components

radical

穴 xué

cave; hole (radical)

Top cave radical - the indexing radical, depicting a roofed hollow. Anchors 窝 in the imagery of a sheltered den: bird nest, rabbit hole, fox lair. Same radical sits over 空 empty, 突 rush, 穿 pierce, 窗 window - characters sharing the "opening in wall or earth" frame.

phonetic

呙 guō

crooked mouth (phonetic)

Bottom 呙 supplies the sound - guō drifted to wō, regular initial alternation. Traditional 窩 used 咼; the 1956 reform regularized 咼 to 呙. Same phonetic recurs in 锅 guō pot, 蜗 wō snail, 涡 wō whirlpool. Pure phonetic role; the "crooked mouth" meaning is incidental.