How to Write 帱 (chóu) — Meaning “Curtain / Canopy”

Imagine a long life (寿) spent under a cloth (巾) canopy or mosquito net, which provides protection and comfort. The "longevity" part reminds you of the character's pronunciation (chóu is similar to shòu) and the idea of being covered safely for a long time.

The left radical 巾 (cloth) is narrow and written first, with the vertical stroke extending straight down. The right part 寿 has a complex structure—start with the top stroke (horizontal), then the middle 一横 and 一竖, and finally the bottom 寸 with its hook—be careful not to add extra strokes. A common mistake is to write the right side with too many horizontal lines; it has exactly three horizontal strokes in the top portion.

帱 (chóu) means curtain or canopy and uses the cloth radical 巾 with 寿 (longevity). 帑 (tǎng) means treasury or money, also with 巾 but with 奴 (slave), and 帔 (pèi) means a kind of scarf or cape, with 巾 and 皮 (skin). Visually, the right parts are different: 寿 (shòu) vs 奴 (nú) vs 皮 (pí), so focus on the lower-right component to distinguish them.

Today 帱 is mostly found in literary or classical contexts, such as 蚊帱 (mosquito net) and 帱子 (canopy), but it is rarely used in everyday speech. A cultural note: in ancient China, a 帱 was a symbol of protection and honor, often used for imperial canopies or as a metaphor for covering and safeguarding something valuable.

Common words containing 帱 include: 蚊帱 (wén chóu) — Mosquito net (literary); 帱子 (chóu zi) — Mosquito net / Canopy; 覆帱 (fù chóu) — To cover and protect.