HanziGuru.驅 · qū
驅
qū[qu1]Tone 1

to expel

HSK 7
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驱
Guru Deep Dive

English · to expel

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:11
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the horse radical) occupies about one-third to half of the width, while the right side provides the phonetic structure and must balance neatly without crowding.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 驅 uses the full traditional character for horse (馬) with 10 strokes on the left, whereas the simplified form 驱 uses the simplified horse radical (马) with 3 strokes, reducing total complexity.
1. Meaning

to expel, drive away, or urge on

to run quicklyto drive a vehicle or animal
VerbFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#movement#action#compulsion
Sample Usage
  • 驱逐
    qūzhú
    to deport, to expel
  • 并驾齐驱
    bìng jià qí qū
    to run neck and neck, to keep pace with
2. Sound
/[tɕʰy⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
驅
qūqu1
++
¯(55)
=qū
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
qu
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
q
Type: Aspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: ch sound produced with the tongue flat against the lower teeth
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Extremely strong burst of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST fly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate while the tip rests behind the lower front teeth, releasing a burst of air.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -v vowel group
Sounds like: French 'u' or German 'ü' sound (ee-rounded)
Note: Written as 'u', pronounced as rounded 'ü' [y].
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ü'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Maintains a steady, uninterrupted high pitch identical to a musical note sustained at the top of your speaking voice.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rounded 'ü' sound with an English 'oo' or plain 'u', or mishearing the high pitch as a rising tone.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A flat, high horizontal line in front of you, held steady at the top of your vocal range, matching the high level pitch of Tone 1.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (the horse radical) occupies about one-third to half of the width, while the right side provides the phonetic structure and must balance neatly without crowding.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 驅 uses the full traditional character for horse (馬) with 10 strokes on the left, whereas the simplified form 驱 uses the simplified horse radical (马) with 3 strokes, reducing total complexity.

4. Components

Radical 马 · Horse Radical (Horse, animal movement, riding)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 马 (Indicates movement, driving, or riding horses.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 区 (original sound: qū)

A horse (马) guided inside an enclosure or area (区) to be driven forward or expelled.

  • 马 Semantic clue relating to horses and driving
  • 区 Phonetic clue providing the sound 'qū'
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the pictographic element of a horse (马) with a phonetic indicator (区) representing an area or boundary where animals are driven or directed.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from the literal act of driving horses or livestock to general actions of expelling, urging on, or driving away anything unwanted.

  • In ancient times, driving horses was an essential military and transportation skill, giving rise to many compounds involving speed and movement.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ク / Kun: く.る, かる
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
구
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You guide your HORSE (马) into a fenced DISTRICT (区) in order to DRIVE IT AWAY (驱) into the wilderness.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
區
Phonetic Core (声旁)
嘔
+ 口 (mouth)
嶇
+ 山 (mountain)
慪
+ 忄 (heart)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
岖(qū)
岖 has the mountain radical (山) referring to rugged terrain, whereas 驱 has the horse radical (马) referring to driving animals.
区(qū)
区 lacks the horse radical entirely and means a district or area.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
警察迅速把人群[___]開了。
Clue: qū
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the simplified horse radical (马) with other similar left-side components, or mispronouncing the 'qū' syllable with an English 'ku' sound.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 驱 mean, and what are its key components?
Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to expel or drive' (qū) using the horse radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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驅qūto expel
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