壶

• Pinyin: hú
• Hanzi breakdown: 壶 = simplified from 壺, originally depicting a pot or vessel with a rounded body

Meaning

Pot; kettle; flask. A container with a spout for liquids, especially tea or wine.

Used for teapots (茶壶), wine vessels (酒壶), kettles (水壶), and as a measure word for pots of tea or wine. Common collocations: 一壶茶 (a pot of tea), 热水壶 (kettle), 紫砂壶 (Yixing clay teapot). Tea culture makes this word common in daily life.

Examples

1. 爷爷每天早上都要泡一壶好茶，坐在院子里慢慢品。 Grandpa brews a pot of good tea every morning, sitting in the yard savoring it slowly.
2. 这把紫砂壶是我从宜兴带回来的，据说养得越久越值钱。 This Yixing clay teapot I brought back from Yixing — they say the longer you season it, the more valuable it becomes.
3. 她提着水壶给花浇水，动作轻柔又仔细。 She carried the watering can to water the flowers, her movements gentle and careful.

Usage Guide

Context: tea culture, cooking, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 再来一壶茶。(Another pot of tea, please.)
• 这壶水开了。(This kettle of water has boiled.)

Don't Say

• 把杯子叫壶 (Don't call a cup 壶 — 壶 specifically refers to pots or kettles with spouts)

Origin & History

Pictograph depicting a vessel with a lid and handles. The traditional form 壺 shows the pot's shape more clearly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal