酷

Tap the pinyin to hear it

ruthless; strong (e.g. of wine); (loanword) cool; hip

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

酉 meaning “wine” + 告 sound ( gào )

Components 酉告

brutal · Heisig RSH #2462

whiskey bottle + 告 declare

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
冷酷无情	lěng kù wú qíng	cold-hearted; unfeeling; callous
反酷刑折磨公约	fǎn kù xíng zhé mó gōng yuē	UN convention against torture and cruel treatment (ratified by PRC in 1988)
酷斯拉	Kù sī lā	(Tw) Godzilla
残酷无情	cán kù wú qíng	cruel and unfeeling (idiom)
酷儿	kù ér	queer (sexuality)
酷刑折磨	kù xíng zhé mó	torture and cruel treatment
酷热	kù rè	torrid heat
酷爱	kù ài	to be keen on; to have a passion for
厌酷球孢子菌	yàn kù qiú bāo zǐ jūn	Coccidioides immitis
冷酷	lěng kù	unfeeling; callous
酷派	Kù pài	Coolpad Group Ltd, Chinese company
跑酷	pǎo kù	(loanword) parkour
酷刑	kù xíng	cruelty; torture
残酷	cán kù	cruel; harsh; merciless
优酷	Yōu kù	Youku, Chinese video hosting platform
严酷	yán kù	bitter; harsh; grim; ruthless; severe; cut-throat (competition)
酷烈	kù liè	intense; brutal; fierce
酷碰券	kù pèng quàn	(Tw) (loanword) coupon
酷似	kù sì	to strikingly resemble
惨酷	cǎn kù	(literary) cruel; savage; merciless

Characters sharing the sound component 告 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
告 sound part	gào	to tell, to inform, to announce; to accuse
造	zào	to build, to construct, to invent, to manufacture
靠	kào	nearby; to depend on, to lean on, to trust
浩	hào	great, grand, vast
皓	hào	bright, luminous; clear; hoary
鹄	hú	swan
窖	jiào	cellar, storeroom
锆	gào	zirconium
梏	gù	handcuffs, manacles; fetters
牿	gù	cattle shed
郜	gào	a feudal state in Shantong; surname