HanziGuru.驮 · duò
驮
duò[duo4]Tone 4

load carried by a pack animal

HSK 7
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馱
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · load carried by a pack animal

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:8
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (马) should be slightly narrower to make room for the right component (大), balancing the overall width harmoniously.
Simplification Logic: Simplified from 馱, replacing the traditional phonetic/semantic components with standard simplified equivalents (馬 simplified to 马).
1. Meaning

load carried by a pack animal

to carry on the back (as an animal)burden
Verb / NounNeutral#animals#transportation#action
Sample Usage
  • 这匹马驮着很重的货物。
    Zhè pǐ mǎ tuó zhe hěn zhòng de huòwù.
    This horse is carrying a very heavy load of goods on its back.
  • 骆驼在沙漠里驮运物资。
    Luòtuo zài shāmò lǐ tuóyùn wùzī.
    Camels transport supplies in the desert.
2. Sound
/[tu̯ɔ˥˩]/Tone: 51
驮
duòduo4
++
`(51)
=duò
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
duo
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
d
Type: Unaspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: d sound like English d in do
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No puff of air. Tissue remains still (sounds like English 't' in 'stop').
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth, releasing without a puff of air.
Final Rhyme
uo
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: uo rhymes with the 'wo' in woof
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'waw'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges sharply down, exactly like saying 'No!' or giving a firm command in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the initial 'd' (unaspirated, sounds like 't' in English 'stow') with an aspirated 't'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, decisive chop downward with the hand, matching the high-to-low plummet of Tone 4.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (马) should be slightly narrower to make room for the right component (大), balancing the overall width harmoniously.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 馱, replacing the traditional phonetic/semantic components with standard simplified equivalents (馬 simplified to 马).

4. Components

Radical 马 · Horse Radical (Horse, equine)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 马 (Indicates that the action or object is related to horses or pack animals carrying weights.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 大 (original sound: tuo/da phonetic hint lineage in historical derivation)

A horse (马) carrying a large (大) heavy load on its back.

  • 马 Horse (left side)
  • 大 Big (right side)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the horse radical (马) indicating the carrier animal and another element for sound and extension, denoting what a horse carries.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred strictly to pack loads on horses or donkeys, later extended to general carrying on the back.

  • Pack animals were vital for the Silk Road trade, making words related to animal transport extremely common in ancient texts.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

A huge HORSE (马) is carrying a very BIG (大) heavy LOAD (驮) across the mountain pass.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
大
dàbig, large, greatPhonetic Core (声旁)
达
dáto reach, to attain, to communicate+ 辶 (walking)
旲
+ 日 (sun)
羍
dálittle lamb+ 羊 (sheep)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
驼(tuó)
驼 uses the man/suffix element on the right (它) and means camel, whereas 驮 uses 大 and means to carry a load.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这匹老马能[___]很重的行李。
Clue: duò
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 驮 (duò - to carry as a pack animal) with 骑 (qí - to ride astride).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 驮 mean when seen with the horse radical and big component?
Production: How do you write the character for a pack animal's load (duò) with 8 strokes?
Real-World Video Context

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

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