Chinese character · HSK 6
壶 (hú) — “pot / kettle”
The character visually outlines a traditional pot: the top '士' acts as the lid and handle, the '冖' forms the wide shoulders, and the '业' serves as the rounded belly and footed base.
How to remember 壶
The scholar (士) covers (冖) his work (业) to take a break and enjoy a pot (壶) of tea.
Inside the character
- 士 (scholar / officer) — meaning component. Originally an axe-bearing warrior — often marks scholars, officers, or upright men.
- 冖 (cover) — meaning component. A flat covering — often marks something laid over the top.
- 业 (career / industry) — meaning component.
Where 壶 comes from
Originally a pure pictograph (壺) depicting a round-bellied vessel with a lid and base. The simplified form '壶' brilliantly preserves this visual outline using existing character components.
Words that use 壶
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 茶壶 | cháhú | teapot | HSK 6 |
| 水壶 | shuǐ hú | kettle / canteen | HSK 7 |
| 壶 | hú | pot / classifier for bottled liquid | HSK 6 |
Learn 壶 the visual way. InkSeal pairs every HSK 1–6 character
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More characters: 夹 (jiā, to clip / to squeeze) · 妈 (mā, mother / mom) · 寿 (shòu, longevity / long life) — or browse the full character library.