Chinese word

土

Pronunciation

Pinyintǔ

Meaning

  • nounsoil

Example

这盆土不够，要再加点。zhè pén tǔ bú gòu yào zài jiā diǎn

This pot does not have enough soil, so more needs to be added.

Illustration for 土 (soil)

More examples

他们在后院挖土，准备种树。tā men zài hòu yuàn wā tǔ zhǔn bèi zhòng shù

They are digging the soil in the backyard to get ready to plant trees.

Core concept

A soft layer of earth that can lie underfoot, become mud when wet, or support a plant.

Common phrases

  • 挖土wā tǔ

    dig soil

  • 一层土yì céng tǔ

    a layer of earth

Similar words

土地tǔ dì: A stretch of land considered for ownership or use.
地面dì miàn: The surface of the ground that people or objects touch.

Definition in Chinese

覆盖地表的松散颗粒物质，常指泥土或用于花盆、园艺的土壤fù gài dì biǎo de sōng sǎn kē lì wù zhì cháng zhǐ ní tǔ huò yòng yú huā pén yuán yì de tú rǎng

Word origin

The ancient form of 土 (tǔ, "soil") depicts earth piled up from the ground, so the character centers on a mass of earth rather than a particular place.

Usage tips

  • The same everyday noun works for garden earth and potting material, so Chinese does not require a separate word when the setting changes.

Other meanings

  • groundnoun
  • mudnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word