独dú
alone, independent, only, single, solitary. 9 strokes, radical 犭, first met in HSK 4.
What 独 is made of
犭 (quǎn, dog) and 虫 (chóng, insect).
犭 carries the meaning — dog — and 虫 carries the sound.
How to write 独
Strokes 1–3 write 犭, then strokes 4–9 write 虫.
Free, with no account: the app draws each stroke, then you write it and it says which stroke went wrong.
Print a 米字格 practice sheet for 独
Words that use 独
| 单独 | alone 只有自己一个人，没有别人陪同 进山探险严禁单独行动。Venturing into the mountains alone is strictly forbidden. Lesson 266, 崇山探幽与野外攀登 · 攀峰涉远与地舆探胜 · Mountain Expeditions, Geography & Urban Topography |
| 独自 | alone 只靠自己，没有别人陪伴 大哥不放心父母独自在家。He worried about his parents being alone at home. Lesson 270, 寒冬夜归与邻里关照 · 邻里温情与冬景市声 · Winter Rhythms, Urban Transit & Neighborly Harmony |
| 独特 | unique 与众不同，别处少见 这家热豆腐风味十分独特。This shop's hot tofu has a truly unique flavour. Lesson 271, 市井风味与当代出行 · 邻里温情与冬景市声 · Winter Rhythms, Urban Transit & Neighborly Harmony |
| 独立 | independent 不依靠别人，自己能做主 严酷的环境培育了她独立的品格。The harsh environment fostered her independent character. Lesson 272, 强身健体与自立品格 · 邻里温情与冬景市声 · Winter Rhythms, Urban Transit & Neighborly Harmony |
| 孤独 | lonely, solitary 指独自一人，缺少陪伴 真情温暖关爱孤儿，让孤独老人老有所养。They made sure lonely elderly people were cared for. Lesson 584, 固本拓疆 · 艺苑流芳与经世济民 · Civic Governance & Cultural Renaissance |
Characters that share the sound part 虫
Written with the same phonetic, so their readings tend to rhyme with each other.
More characters with the radical 犭
All 13 of them, and what the radical means, on the 犭 radical page.