兜

• Pinyin: dōu
• Hanzi breakdown: 兜 = 儿 + 白 + 冂 — originally depicted a helmet or wrap-around container

Meaning

To carry or hold something in a cupped or wrapped manner; to go around in a circuit; to canvass or solicit. Also used as a noun meaning pocket.

Has multiple meanings: wrapping and carrying something physically (兜着东西), making a detour or circuit (兜一圈), or soliciting customers. As a noun, 兜 also means pocket, synonymous with 口袋 in colloquial northern speech.

Examples

1. 他用围裙兜着刚从树上摘下的苹果。 He used his apron to cradle the apples he had just picked from the tree.
2. 我们沿湖边兜了一大圈才回到出发点。 We took a big loop around the lake before returning to the starting point.
3. 她把散落的糖果用手帕兜了起来。 She gathered the scattered candies up in a handkerchief.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, colloquial

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他用衣摆兜住掉落的零件，免得散落一地。(He used his shirttail to catch the falling parts so they wouldn't scatter everywhere.)
• 我们出去兜一圈再回来，顺便透透气。(Let's go out for a round and come back, getting some fresh air along the way.)

Don't Say

• 兜起责任 — for 'taking responsibility' use 承担责任 or 担起责任; 兜 suggests physically wrapping or carrying, not abstract responsibility

Origin & History

兜 is a pictographic character depicting a bag or container that wraps things

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal