枯燥 (kū zào) — dry and dull; uninteresting | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

枯燥 describes content (lectures, work, novels) that feels intellectually dry and tedious — more formal and 'dry-as-dust' than the everyday 没意思 or 无聊. Use it for abstract things, not people.

adjective

dry and dulluninteresting

Examples

枯燥，。
Zhè ge jiǎng zuò tài kū zào le, wǒ chà diǎn shuì zháo.
This lecture was so dry and dull that I almost fell asleep.
枯燥，。
Tā měi tiān zuò kū zào de tǒng jì gōng zuò, dàn cóng bú bào yuàn.
He does boring statistical work every day, but never complains.
枯燥，。
Zhè běn xiǎo shuō qíng jié kū zào, dú bú xià qù.
This novel's plot is dry and dull; I can't keep reading.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

枯kūdry/withered

枯 and 燥 both mean dry, so together they give a dry, dull feeling.

Characters in this word

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

木古枯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

古

古gǔ枯kū

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

枯 pairs 木 (tree) with 古, which gives the sound.

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

火喿燥

Meaning part形符xíngfú

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

喿

喿zào燥zào

Same sound today

燥 is built from 火 (fire) and 喿, which gives its sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6

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