冢 (zhǒng) — grave, tomb (literary or formal)

Definition

Literary/formal word for 'grave, tomb.' Almost always appears in compounds or set phrases like 古冢 — rarely used in everyday speech.

bound form

gravetomb (literary or formal)

Easily confused

冢。
Zhè zuò gǔ zhǒng yǐ yǒu qiān nián lì shǐ.
This ancient tomb has a history of a thousand years.
冢。
Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài shān shàng fā xiàn le yí zuò gǔ zhǒng.
Archaeologists discovered an ancient tomb on the mountain.
冢。
Shī rén xiě xià le yì shǒu dào niàn gǔ zhǒng de shī.
The poet wrote a poem mourning the ancient tomb.

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

勹勹bāowrap

Sound part声符shēngfú

豖

豖chù冢zhǒng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The original form of 冢 paired 勹 (wrap) with 豖 for sound, showing a burial shroud; its top 勹 later became 冖.