Definition
涂 (tú) is a verb meaning 'to apply, smear, daub' — it suggests spreading a substance (paint, cream) over a surface, often thickly or messily. Compared to 刷 (shuā, to brush/paint with a brush) and 擦 (cā, to wipe or apply by rubbing/patting), 涂 emphasizes covering or smearing. It is much closer to 抹 (mǒ, to apply/smear), but 涂 can also mean 'to scribble/scrawl' (乱涂), which 抹 cannot.
verb
to apply (paint, cream, etc.)to smearto daubto scribbleto scrawl
Easily confused
- 除chúlook-alike(verb) to remove; to eliminate
- 吐tǔsound-aliketo spit out (from the mouth)
- 斜xiélook-alike(adjective) slanted, oblique, inclined, tilted
- 吐tùsound-aliketo vomit; to throw up
- 图túsound-alike(noun) picture, drawing, chart, map
- 土tǔsound-alike(noun) soil, earth, dust
- 秃tūsound-alikebald (hairless, bare)
- 凸tūsound-alikeprotruding, convex (describing a shape that sticks out)
Examples
- 涂。Tā zài qiáng shàng tú le yì céng yóuqī.He applied a layer of paint on the wall.
- 涂。Tā měitiān zǎochen dōu zài liǎn shàng tú miànshuāng.She applies face cream on her face every morning.
- 涂。Xiǎo háizi xǐhuan zài zhǐ shàng luàn tú.Children like to scribble on paper.
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