How to Write 巢 (cháo) — Meaning “Nest”

Imagine you see three twigs (巛) forming a circle (曰) on a tree branch (木) to create a cozy nest. You can picture a small bird sitting inside the round opening, and the three twigs on top are the roof. This visual helps link the shape to the meaning.

Write the top 巛 as three short strokes slanting slightly left, then draw 曰 with even horizontal lines, and finish with 木 at the bottom. A common mistake is making the middle part 曰 too tall or writing the 木's horizontal stroke too low, which makes the character unbalanced.

The most common phrase is 鸟巢 (niǎo cháo) meaning 'bird's nest', also the nickname for Beijing's Olympic Stadium. 筑巢 (zhù cháo) means 'to build a nest', used for birds or metaphorically for creating a home. 归巢 (guī cháo) means 'to return to the nest', often describing birds coming back or someone returning home.

You use 巢 when talking about bird nests or the famous 'Bird's Nest' stadium in Beijing. It also appears in poetic or metaphorical expressions like 筑巢 (building a home) and 归巢 (returning home), which carry warm feelings of safety and belonging. Though not in HSK, it is common in news and nature writing.

Common words containing 巢 include: 鸟巢 (niǎo cháo) — bird's nest; 筑巢 (zhù cháo) — To build a nest; 归巢 (guī cháo) — To return to the nest.