窝

• Pinyin: wō
• Hanzi breakdown: 窝 = 穴 (cave, hollow shelter) + 呙 (phonetic; implies a rounded, recessed shape)

Meaning

Nest; burrow; den; a hollow or recessed space. Used for animal homes and, colloquially, cramped living spaces or criminal hideouts.

Extends metaphorically to criminal dens (匪窝 = bandit lair, 贼窝 = thieves' den) and colloquially to a small cramped home. Also used as a measure word for a litter of animals (一窝小猫 = a litter of kittens). 一窝蜂 describes people swarming chaotically.

Examples

1. 燕子在屋檐下筑了一个窝，每天清晨都能听到幼鸟叽叽喳喳的叫声。 The swallows built a nest under the eaves, and every morning you could hear the chicks chirping.
2. 警方捣毁了一处藏匿多名逃犯的窝，缴获了大量非法物品。 Police raided a den where multiple fugitives were hiding and seized a large amount of illegal items.
3. 这只母猫生了一窝小猫，其中有三只是橘色的。 That mother cat had a litter of kittens, three of which were orange.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, colloquial, law enforcement

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 山里的猎人发现了一处狐狸窝，里面有几只毛茸茸的幼崽正蜷缩在一起取暖。(The hunter in the mountains found a fox den, inside which several fluffy cubs were curled up together for warmth.)
• 这栋楼年久失修，破旧不堪，住在这种地方就像住在一个破窝里一样，连基本的生活条件都无法保障。(The building has fallen into disrepair — living here is like living in a dilapidated hovel, with even basic living conditions failing to be met.)

Don't Say

• 鸟窝 is acceptable for informal reference to a bird's nest, but for wild birds in literary or precise contexts use 鸟巢 or 巢; 窝 works best for burrows, dens, and litters — not for all nests equally

Origin & History

穴 (cave radical, shelter) + 呙 (phonetic component) — a hollow recessed space

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal