How to Write 楚 (chǔ) — Meaning “clear / neat”

Imagine a forest (林) so clear that you can see every footprint (疋) on the ground. This visual connects the top and bottom parts to the meaning 'clear'.

Write the left 木 first, then the right 木, making the top part 林 slightly narrower. For the bottom 疋, start with a short horizontal stroke, then a vertical, and finish with several strokes; be careful not to confuse it with 足. The whole character should be balanced with a wider bottom.

楚 has two 木 (trees) on top, while 桫 and 桲 each have one 木 on the left and different right parts (沙 and 孛). In usage, 楚 is common in words like 清楚, but 桫 and 桲 are rare tree names you will almost never see.

楚 appears in everyday words like 清楚 (clear; to understand) and 苦楚 (suffering). It is also part of the idiom 楚楚动人 (lovely and affecting). A cultural note: 楚 was the name of an ancient Chinese state, but today you mostly use it in compound words describing clarity or neatness.

Common words containing 楚 include: 清楚 (qīng chǔ) — clear; to understand; 苦楚 (kǔ chǔ) — Suffering / misery; 楚楚动人 (chǔ chǔ dòng rén) — lovely and affecting / charming.