堆

• Pinyin: duī
• Hanzi breakdown: 堆 = 土 (earth) + 隹 (short-tailed bird) — originally earth piled up

Meaning

To pile up; pile; heap; measure word for piles of things. Refers to gathering objects into a mound, the mound itself, or counts such groupings.

As a verb, means to stack or pile things up. As a noun, refers to a heap or pile. As a measure word, used for things gathered in mounds: 一堆书 (a pile of books), 一堆问题 (a heap of problems). Figuratively describes accumulated matters or troubles.

Examples

1. 桌子上堆满了需要处理的文件。 The desk is piled with documents that need to be processed.
2. 门口有一堆快递等着签收。 There's a pile of packages at the door waiting to be signed for.
3. 最近工作上有一堆事情要忙。 Recently there's a heap of things at work to be busy with.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, work, description

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 请把这些箱子堆在角落里。(Please pile these boxes in the corner.)
• 他面前有一堆作业要做。(He has a pile of homework in front of him.)

Don't Say

• 说'一堆人群'形容很多人 (Don't say 一堆人群 — it's redundant; say 一群人 or 一堆人)

Origin & History

堆 is composed of 土 (earth) + 隹 (short-tailed bird), originally depicting earth piled up. Now means any pile or heap.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal