How to Write 坳 (ào) — Meaning “hollow; depression; mountain valley”

Imagine a young (幼) patch of earth (土) that has caved in, creating a small hollow. The picture of a tiny, fresh pit in the ground helps link the sound "ào" to the idea of a depression.

The left part 土 must be narrow, with the last horizontal stroke slightly rising to make room for the right side. On the right, 幼 begins with two short diagonal strokes (撇折) that should not touch the 力 part underneath, and the whole character should be balanced vertically.

坳 has the right side 幼 (young), while 在 has 才 (talent) and 圩 has 于 (at). Visually, 坳's right component is more complex and top-heavy, whereas 在 and 圩 are simpler. In meaning, 坳 refers to a hollow, 在 means "at", and 圩 means a fair or an embankment.

坳 is not common in daily conversation but appears in geography terms like 山坳 (mountain hollow) and in place names. It is also found in classical poetry to describe secluded valleys, giving it a literary, nature-related feel. You might see it in travel writing or landscape descriptions.

Common words containing 坳 include: 山坳 (shān ào) — Mountain hollow; 坳陷 (ào xiàn) — depression; subsidence; 坑坳 (kēng ào) — Hollow; depression..