to smear, to scribble, to daub

JLPT N5 10 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Usage of (tú)

The character primarily means "to smear," "to paint," or "to scribble." It is commonly used when describing the action of applying paint or other substances onto surfaces. For example, 墙壁 (paint the wall) or 油漆 (apply paint).

can also describe informal or careless drawing, such as (scribble, graffiti), which often refers to children's drawings or street art.

Common Collocations

  • 油漆: to paint with oil-based paint, used in home decoration or maintenance.
  • 墙壁: to paint walls, a frequent phrase in renovation contexts.
  • : to scribble or graffiti, often informal or playful drawing.

Notes

emphasizes the act of applying or spreading a substance, often with a brush or by hand. It differs from (huà), which means "to draw" or "to paint" in a more artistic sense. is more about the physical act of coating or smearing.

Avoid confusing with 涂抹 (túmǒ), which is a compound verb meaning "to smear" or "to apply" but often used in more formal or medical contexts.

Example Sentences

He painted the wall blue with a brush.

The children scribbled on the paper, drawing many strange patterns.

This layer of paint is applied unevenly; it needs to be painted again.