How to Write 除 (chú) — Meaning “To remove; to divide; except.”

Picture a hill (阝) covered with extra dirt (余) that you need to shovel away. You are "除" (removing) the surplus dirt from the hill.

Write the left radical 阝 first with two strokes (a curved stroke then a vertical line). Then write the right part 余: start with a left slanted stroke, then two horizontal lines, a vertical hook, and finally two small dots. Avoid making the right side too wide or confusing it with 佘 (shé).

邮 (yóu) means 'post' or 'mail' and has 阝 on the right side with 由. 邯 (hán) is a city name and also has 阝 on the right with 甘. In contrast, 除 has 阝 on the left with 余 and means 'remove' or 'except'.

除 appears in everyday words like 除了 (chúle, 'except' or 'besides') and 消除 (xiāochú, 'to eliminate'). It is also used in mathematics for 除法 (chúfǎ, 'division') and in the cultural term 除夕 (chúxī, 'New Year's Eve'), meaning the night that removes the old year.

Common words containing 除 include: 除了 (chú le) — Except; besides.; 消除 (xiāo chú) — to eliminate; to remove; 除法 (chú fǎ) — Division (mathematics)..