How to Write 舂 (chōng) — Meaning “to pound (grain)”

Imagine you are pounding grain in a mortar (臼) during the spring (春 without 日). The top part looks like a container, and the bottom has a pestle-like shape — think of a springtime task of preparing rice.

Write the top 臼 first: left stroke, then the two inner strokes, then the right stroke. The bottom part starts with the horizontal stroke, then the two vertical strokes, and finally the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the bottom too wide — keep it balanced under the mortar.

舂 (chōng) means to pound and has 臼 on top with a bottom similar to 春. 舀 (yǎo) means to scoop out and has 臼 with 爪 (hand) inside and a different bottom. 臿 (chā) is rare and means to separate grain from husks, with 臼 and a different lower component.

舂 is mainly used in traditional contexts like 舂米 (pounding rice) or 舂药 (grinding medicine). It is not common in daily conversation but appears in historical or rural descriptions. In Chinese culture, the mortar and pestle symbolize hard work and food preparation.

Common words containing 舂 include: 舂米 (chōng mǐ) — to pound rice; 舂药 (chōng yào) — to pound medicine; 舂谷 (chōng gǔ) — to pound grain.