Writing Balance Rule: The left side (mouth radical) is compact and occupies the upper-middle left, while the right side (soil character) is taller and anchors the right, keeping both halves well-proportioned without crowding.
1. Meaning
to spit
to send out silk or bollsto say or blurt outto pour out grievances
VerbNeutral#bodily action#speech#nature
Sample Usage
请把核吐出来。
Qǐng bǎ hé tǔ chūlái.
Please spit out the pit.
吐露心声
tǔlù xīnshēng
to pour out one's innermost feelings
2. Sound
/[tʰu³⁵]/Tone: 35
吐
tǔtu3
|
++
ˇ(214)
=tǔ
Initial Consonant
t
Type: Aspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: t sound
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge behind the upper teeth, then releases a crisp puff of air.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: oo sound
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
2 → 1 → 4 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips down then rises like an English incredulous 'What?' or a questioning 'Really?'.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, tǔ undergoes tone sandhi and is pronounced with a rising 2nd tone contour.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse it with the 4th tone version tù (to vomit), which starts high and drops sharply.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Imagine a hand starting mid-chest and sweeping upward in a questioning or soaring gesture, matching the rising pitch.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 6 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (mouth radical) is compact and occupies the upper-middle left, while the right side (soil character) is taller and anchors the right, keeping both halves well-proportioned without crowding.
4. Components
Radical口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, opening)
Semantic Clue (形旁):口 (indicates an action originating from or involving the mouth (spitting, speaking).)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):土 (original sound: tu)
The mouth radical (口) is placed on the left to show an action performed with the mouth, combined with 'earth/soil' (土) on the right which provides the sound 'tu'.
口 mouth (semantic clue for spitting/speaking)
土 earth/soil (phonetic clue providing 'tu')
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
10· Phonetic Root: 土 (tǔ)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Combined from the mouth radical (口) indicating oral emission and the phonetic element soil (土) which provides the baseline pronunciation.
Semantic Evolution: Originally denoting the physical action of spitting out something from the mouth, the meaning naturally extended to verbal expressions such as revealing secrets, uttering complaints, or pouring out inner thoughts.
The character pairs a sensory bodily organ (mouth) with a phonetic helper, making it a classic phono-semantic compound.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
thổ
The Chinese 3rd tone corresponds loosely with Vietnamesehoi or ngã tones depending on historical phonetic developments.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ト (to) / Kun: は.吐く (ha.ku)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
토
Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 't' and final 'u' remain consistent with East Asian cognates sharing the 'tu' phonetic root.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You open your **mouth** (口) to spit out a mouthful of dark **earth/soil** (土) with a sharp 'tu!' sound.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
杜
dùbirch-leaved pear / stopReplaces mouth with tree/wood (木) on the left.
肚
dùbelly / stomachReplaces mouth with flesh/moon (月) on the left.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
土(tǔ)
土 means earth and lacks the mouth radical (口) on the left.
杜(dù)
杜 uses the tree radical (木) instead of the mouth radical (口).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
吃完西瓜后，请把西瓜籽[___]出来。
Clue: tǔ
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the tone: using the 4th tone (tù - to vomit) when meaning to spit or express thoughts (tǔ).
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see the character 吐 with a mouth radical next to soil, what physical action does it represent?
Production: How do you write and pronounce the character meaning 'to spit' or 'to pour out grievances'?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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吐tǔto spit
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