土

See also: 士, 圡, 𡈽, and ±

土 U+571F, 土 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-571F ← 圞 [U+571E] CJK Unified Ideographs 圠 → [U+5720]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

土 (radical 32, 土+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 土 (G), four-corner 4010₀, composition ⿱十一)

1. Kangxi radical #32, ⼟.

Derived characters

• Index:Chinese radical/土
• 𫡢, 吐, 𡚳, 𢎳, 𢓂, 𪫞, 扗, 汢, 肚, 杜, 𣧅, 灶, 牡, 𤣰, 社, 𨑒, 𥃾, 𥝟, 𬡃, 𫊥, 䝅, 𧺔, 𮛄, 𨑡, 釷(钍), 靯, 𩡶, 𩵚(𬶂), 𪐢
• 凷, 𫧀, 𫲵, 尘, 庄, 𢨫, 芏, 𭎊, 𦉷, 𥤧, 㽵, 𥫦, 𮓛, 䦌(𮤬), 𫕞, 𭎭, 𩫽, 𤍢, 𪔋, 去, 𠮷, 𡕟, 寺, 𢖽, 𭟯, 灻, 𫅢, 𮤇, 𪔄, 𪔌

References

• KangXi: page 223, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4867
• Dae Jaweon: page 453, character 23
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 415, character 1
• Unihan data for U+571F

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		土
alternative forms		士 圡 𡈽

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 土
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (土) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
社	*ɦljaːʔ
肚	*ʔl'aːʔ, *l'aːʔ
土	*l̥ʰaːʔ, *l'aːʔ
吐	*l̥ʰaːʔ, *l̥ʰaːs
芏	*l̥ʰaːʔ
杜	*l'aːʔ
靯	*l'aːʔ
荰	*l'aːʔ

Pictogram (象形): a lump of clay on a potter’s wheel.

Etymology 1

There is no obviously cognate and etymology, unless it may be related to Proto-Monic *tiiʔ ("soil; ground consisting of earth"), Semnam tɛʔ (“soil; earth”). However, this would required the assumption of a shift from front vowel to Old Chinese *a (Schuessler, 2007).

Probably related to 社 (OC *ɦljaːʔ, “god of soil; altar to god of soil”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): tǔ (tu³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄨˇ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic): тў (tw, II)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): tou²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): hu²

• Gan (Wiktionary): tu³
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): thú
• Jin (Wiktionary): tu²
• Min Bei (KCR): tǔ
• Min Dong (BUC): tù
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): thó͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): tou² / dou⁶

• Wu (Wiktionary): thu (T2)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): tou³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: tǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄨˇ
    • Wade–Giles: tʻu3
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tuu
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu²¹⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic: тў (tw, II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: tou²
    • Yale: tóu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tou²
    • Guangdong Romanization: tou²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰou̯³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: hu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hu⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: tu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thú
    • Hakka Romanization System: tu`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tu³
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰu³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: tu²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tʰxu⁵³/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: tǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu²¹/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: tù
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu⁵³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thó͘
    • Tâi-lô: thóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tor
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰɔ⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰɔ⁴¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: tou² / dou⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thóu / tŏu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰou⁵²/, /tou³⁵/

Note: dou6 - “ground, dust”.

• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: thu (T2)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰv̩ʷ³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: tou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰəu⁴¹/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 土
Mandarin	Beijing	/tʰu²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/tʰu²¹³/
	Tianjin	/tʰu¹³/
	Jinan	/tʰu⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/tʰu⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/tʰu⁵³/
	Xi'an	/tʰu⁵³/
	Xining	/tʰv̩⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/tʰu⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/tʰu⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/tʰu⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/tʰəu⁴²/
	Chengdu	/tʰu⁵³/
	Guiyang	/tʰu⁴²/
	Kunming	/tʰu⁵³/
	Nanjing	/tʰu²¹²/
	Hefei	/tʰu²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/tʰu⁵³/
	Pingyao	/tʰu⁵³/
	Hohhot	/tʰu⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/tʰu³⁵/
	Suzhou	/tʰəu⁵¹/
	Hangzhou	/tʰu⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/tʰøy³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/tʰu³⁵/
	Tunxi	/tʰəu³¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/tʰəu⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/tʰəɯ⁴²/
Gan	Nanchang	/tʰu²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/tʰu³¹/
	Taoyuan	/tʰu³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/tʰou³⁵/
	Nanning	/tʰu³⁵/
	Hong Kong	/tʰou³⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/tʰɔ⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/tʰu³²/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/tʰu²¹/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/tʰou⁵³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/hɔu³¹/ 訓途 /hɔu²¹³/ ～產

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• Middle Chinese: /tʰuo^X/

Rime
Character	土
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	透 (6)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	他魯切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/tʰuoX/
Pan Wuyun	/tʰuoX/
Shao Rongfen	/tʰoX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/tʰɔX/
Li Rong	/tʰoX/
Wang Li	/tʰuX/
Bernard Karlgren	/tʰuoX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	tǔ

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*tʰˤaʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*l̥ʰaːʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	土
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	tǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ thuX ›
Old Chinese	/*tʰˁaʔ/
English	earth
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	土
Reading #	1/2
No.	12499
Phonetic component	土
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	土
Old Chinese	/*l̥ʰaːʔ/

Definitions

土

1. earth; soil

   這兒的土夠肥的。 / 这儿的土够肥的。  ―  Zhèr de tǔ gòu féi de.  ―  The soil here is quite fertile.

2. clay
3. crude opium
4. dust
5. (Teochew) ground
6. local; native; indigenous

   土著  ―  tǔzhù  ―  aboriginal

7. rustic; unsophisticated

   我覺得東北話實在太土了。 [MSC, trad.]
   我觉得东北话实在太土了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ juéde dōngběihuà shízài tài tǔ le. [Pinyin]

   I think that Northeastern Mandarin is too rustic.

8. the Tujia ethnic group (土家族 (Tǔjiāzú))
9. the Tu ethnic group; Monguor people; White Mongol (土族 (tǔzú))
10. Short for 土耳其 (Tǔ'ěrqí, “Turkey”).
11. A surname​.

Compounds

Derived terms from 土

• 五峰土家族自治縣／五峰土家族自治县 (Wǔfēng Tǔjiāzú Zìzhìxiàn)
• 冥土
• 后土 (hòutǔ)
• 土人 (tǔrén)
• 土俗
• 土偶
• 土包子 (tǔbāozi)
• 土匪 (tǔfěi)
• 土名
• 土地 (tǔdì)
• 土地廟／土地庙
• 土地改革 (tǔdì gǎigé)
• 土坎 (tǔkǎn)
• 土坎兒／土坎儿
• 土坡
• 土坡兒／土坡儿
• 土坯 (tǔpī)
• 土埂
• 土城 (Tǔchéng)
• 土城垸 (Tǔchéngyuàn)
• 土塊／土块
• 土壘／土垒
• 土壤 (tǔrǎng)
• 土壩／土坝
• 土家族 (Tǔjiāzú)
• 土專家／土专家
• 土屄 (tǔbī)
• 土崗／土岗 (tǔgǎng)
• 土崩瓦解 (tǔbēngwǎjiě)
• 土布
• 土庫曼／土库曼 (Tǔkùmàn)
• 土庫曼斯坦／土库曼斯坦 (Tǔkùmànsītǎn)

• 土建
• 土性
• 土房
• 土改 (tǔgǎi)
• 土政策
• 土方 (tǔfāng)
• 土方兒／土方儿
• 土族 (tǔzú)
• 土星 (Tǔxīng)
• 土木 (tǔmù)
• 土木工程 (tǔmù gōngchéng)
• 土木形骸
• 土模
• 土氣／土气 (tǔqì)
• 土法 (tǔfǎ)
• 土洋結合／土洋结合
• 土溫／土温 (tǔwēn)
• 土牆／土墙 (tǔqiáng)
• 土牛木馬／土牛木马
• 土牢
• 土物
• 土特產／土特产 (tǔtèchǎn)
• 土生土長／土生土长 (tǔshēngtǔzhǎng)
• 土產／土产 (tǔchǎn)
• 土疙瘩
• 土皇帝
• 土石方
• 土笛
• 土糞／土粪
• 土紙／土纸
• 土老帽兒／土老帽儿
• 土老財／土老财

• 土耳其 (Tǔ'ěrqí)
• 土肥 (tǔféi)
• 土腥氣／土腥气 (tǔxīngqì)
• 土色
• 土著 (tǔzhù)
• 土葬 (tǔzàng)
• 土話／土话 (tǔhuà)
• 土語／土语 (tǔyǔ)
• 土豆 (tǔdòu)
• 土豆兒／土豆儿 (tǔdòur)
• 土豪 (tǔháo)
• 土財主／土财主
• 土貨／土货
• 土質／土质 (tǔzhì)
• 土造 (tǔzào)
• 土道
• 土里土氣／土里土气
• 土門／土门 (Tǔmén)
• 土關埡／土关垭 (Tǔguānyà)
• 土階茅茨／土阶茅茨
• 土音 (tǔyīn)
• 土頭土腦／土头土脑
• 土黃／土黄 (Tǔhuáng)
• 塵土／尘土 (chéntǔ)
• 塵歸塵，土歸土／尘归尘，土归土 (chénguīchén, tǔguītǔ)
• 恩施土家族苗族自治州 (Ēnshī Tǔjiāzú Miáozú Zìzhìzhōu)
• 淨土／净土 (jìngtǔ)
• 紅土／红土 (hóngtǔ)
• 赤土 (Chìtǔ)
• 陶土 (táotǔ)
• 黃土崗／黄土岗 (Huángtǔgǎng)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): dù (du⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: dù
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄨˋ
    • Wade–Giles: tu4
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: duh
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dù
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tu⁵¹/

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• Middle Chinese: /duo^X/

Rime
Character	土
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	徒古切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/duoX/
Pan Wuyun	/duoX/
Shao Rongfen	/doX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dɔX/
Li Rong	/doX/
Wang Li	/duX/
Bernard Karlgren	/dʱuoX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dù

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*l'aːʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	土
Reading #	2/2
No.	12503
Phonetic component	土
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	杜
Old Chinese	/*l'aːʔ/

Definitions

土

1. ^† Alternative form of 杜 (dù, “root”).

   • 迨天之未陰雨、徹彼桑土、綢繆牖戶。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     迨天之未阴雨、彻彼桑土、绸缪牖户。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, circa 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Dài tiān zhī wèi yīnyǔ, chè bǐ sāngdù, chóumóu yǒuhù. [Pinyin]

     Before the sky was dark with rain,
     I gathered the roots of the mulberry tree,
     And bound round and round my window and door.

2. ^† An ancient river

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chǎ (cha³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄚˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: chǎ
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄚˇ
    • Wade–Giles: chʻa3
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chaa
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǎ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰä²¹⁴/

Definitions

土

1. ^† Only used in 土苴 (chǎzhǎ).

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tú (tu²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄨˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: tú
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄨˊ
    • Wade–Giles: tʻu2
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: twu
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu³⁵/

Definitions

土

1. Only used in 土門／土门 (Túmén).

Etymology 5

For pronunciation and definitions of 土 – see 士 (“unmarried male; bachelor; man; etc.”). (This character, 土, is a variant form of 士.)

References

• “土”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00740
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00831-001
• “Entry #192”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

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Japanese

Kanji

土

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: つ (tsu)
• Kan-on: と (to, Jōyō)
• Kan’yō-on: ど (do, Jōyō)
• Kun: つち (tsuchi, 土, Jōyō)
• Nanori: ひじ (hiji)

Compounds

Compounds

• 土(ど)柱(ちゅう) (dochū)
• 土曜日(どようび) (doyōbi)
• 苦土(くど) (kudo)
• 土地(とち) (tochi)
• 陶(とう)土(ど) (tōdo)
• 土産(みやげ) (miyage)
• 土竜(もぐら) (mogura)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
土
つち Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling	地

From Old Japanese.

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) つち​ [tsùchíꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
  • IPA^(key): [t͡sɨ̥ᵝt͡ɕi]

Noun

土(つち) • (tsuchi) 

1. earth, soil, mud
2. the ground

Derived terms

• 土(つち)狼(おおかみ) (tsuchiōkami)
• 土豚(つちぶた) (tsuchibuta)
• 真(ま)土(つち) (matsuchi)

Idioms

• 土(つち)を踏(ふ)む (tsuchi o fumu, “tread on the ground → enter a foreign country”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
土
と Grade: 1
kan’on

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

土(と) • (To) 

1. Short for 土耳古 (Toruko): Turkey

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
土
ど Grade: 1
kan’yōon

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Kan’yōyomi
  • IPA^(key): [do̞]

Noun

土(ど) • (do) 

1. Short for 土曜日 (doyōbi): Saturday

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Korean

Etymology 1

Hanja

土 (eumhun 흙 토 (heuk to))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Compounds

• 土曜日 (toyoil): Saturday.

Noun

土 • (to) (hangeul 토)

1. earth
2. (as an abbreviation) Saturday

Etymology 2

Hanja

土 (eumhun 뿌리 두 (ppuri du))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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Vietnamese

Han character

土: Hán Việt readings: thổ (他(tha)魯(lỗ)切(thiết))
土: Nôm readings: thổ, độ, thuở

1. Hán tự form of thổ (“earth; soil; land”).

Compounds

• 土地 (thổ địa)
• 土語 (thổ ngữ)