壕 (háo) - moat & trench

壕Tone 2

háo ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

壕 · háo

moat;

trench;

壕 refers to a defensive ditch, often filled with water, surrounding a fortification;

colloquially used to mean 'rich person' or 'wealthy' in internet slang.

moattrench壕 refers to a defensive ditch, often filled

Usage highlights

moatrich persontrenchantidig a trenchfortification trench

Synonyms

  • 沟— ditch; trench
  • 渠— canal; channel
  • 富人— rich person

Antonyms

  • 贫— poor
  • 穷— impoverished

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The castle was protected by a deep moat (壕沟).
  • He is a wealthy person (土豪).
  • They dug a trench (战壕) for military defense.
  • The internet celebrity is known for being rich (壕).

Collocations

  • moat(壕沟)
  • rich person(土豪)
  • trench(战壕)
  • anti-tank ditch(反坦克壕)
  • dig a trench(挖壕)
  • fortification trench(防御壕)

Idioms

  • A rich and powerful local(土豪劣绅)
  • To cross the moat and scale the wall(越壕攀墙)
  • Trench warfare(壕堑战)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically,壕 (moat) was a crucial defensive structure in ancient Chinese fortifications and warfare.
  • In contemporary internet culture, 壕 is used as a slang term for 'wealthy person', derived from 土豪 (tuhao), which originally referred to 'local tyrants' but now humorously denotes the newly rich.
  • The character reflects the evolution of language from traditional military terminology to modern social media vernacular.

FAQ