ní
boue; bourbier; purée de légumes; vase
Practice writing with stroke order guidance, audio pronunciation, and interactive exercises in our mobile app.
Step-by-step stroke order animations
Native speaker audio pronunciation
Interactive writing recognition
泥土很松软，很容易挖。
Nítǔ hěn sōngrǔan, hěn róngyì wā.
The soil is very loose and easy to dig.
泥巴糊在墙上，很难清洗。
Níbā hú zài qiángshàng, hěn nán qīngxǐ.
The mud is stuck on the wall and is difficult to clean.
泥泞的小路很难走。
Nínìng de xiǎolù hěn nán zǒu.
The muddy path is difficult to walk.
泥土 (ní tǔ)
soil
泥巴 (ní ba)
mud
沙 (shā)
sand
石 (shí)
stone
The Chinese character 泥 (ní) for "mud" is composed of two parts: the radical 土 (tǔ) for "earth" on the left, and the phonetic component 尼 (ní) on the right. The radical 土 indicates that 泥 is related to the earth, while the phonetic component 尼 provides a clue to its pronunciation.The character 泥 first appeared in oracle bone script, the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 泥 was written as a simple combination of the radical 土 and the phonetic component 尼. The character evolved over time, and by the time of the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), it had taken on its modern form.The character 泥 has several meanings in Chinese. It can refer to mud, clay, or silt. It can also be used figuratively to describe something that is dirty or impure. For example, the phrase 泥水 (níshuǐ) means "muddy water", while the phrase 泥人 (nírén) means "mud man".The character 泥 is also used in several Chinese idioms. For example, the idiom 泥足深陷 (nízúshēnxiàn) means "to be stuck in the mud", while the idiom 泥沙俱下 (níshājúxià) means "everything comes down together".The character 泥 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a variety of words and phrases. Its etymology provides insight into its meaning and usage, and it is a valuable character for HSK learners to know.
