How to Write 锄 (chú) — Meaning “Hoe; to hoe”

Imagine a metal hoe (钅) that "helps" (助) you dig and weed your garden. Think: "The metal helper in the soil." This connects the left metal radical to the right side's meaning of assistance, making it easier to recall.

When writing 锄, the left radical 钅 has five strokes: first three horizontal strokes, then a vertical, then a left-falling stroke. The right side 助 is written with seven strokes: start with the horizontal stroke on top, then the vertical, then the left-falling, and finally the two horizontal strokes inside 力. A common mistake is writing the right side too wide or not aligning the bottom of 力 with the metal radical.

锄 (chú) means hoe and has the right side 助 (help). 钰 (yù) means treasure and has the right side 玉 (jade). 钱 (qián) means money and has the right side 戋 (small). Visually, look at the right component: 助 has a 力 (power) element at the bottom, while 钰 uses 玉 (jade) and 钱 uses 戋.

锄 is commonly used in farming contexts, like 锄头 (hoe tool) and 锄草 (to weed). It appears in the famous saying "锄禾日当午" from a Tang Dynasty poem about hard work in the fields, which is taught to Chinese children. Though not common in daily city life, it remains an important word in agriculture and rural culture.

Common words containing 锄 include: 锄头 (chú tou) — Hoe (tool); 锄草 (chú cǎo) — To weed; to hoe weeds; 锄地 (chú dì) — To hoe the ground.