How to Write 豖 (chù) — Meaning “Shackled pig”

Imagine a pig (豕) that has a small metal ring attached to its leg — that ring is the extra stroke in 豖. The ring reminds you the pig is shackled, so the character means "shackled pig." This visual trick links the added mark to the idea of restraint.

Write the pig radical 豕 first (7 strokes), then add the eighth stroke as a short horizontal line or a dot just below the belly area. A common mistake is placing this extra mark too low or too close to the legs, which can make it look like a separate character. Keep it small and centered under the body.

The character 豕 (pig) has no extra mark, while 豖 has an additional short stroke below the belly meaning "shackled pig." 豕 is a common radical used in many Chinese characters, whereas 豖 is extremely rare and only appears in classical or specialized contexts. Visually, the extra stroke is the only difference, but the meanings are distinct.

豖 is almost never used in modern Chinese and does not appear in the HSK vocabulary. It appears in ancient texts describing bound pigs and in rare compound words like 豖豖 (the sound of walking) and 奔豖 (to scurry). Culturally, this character reflects early farming practices where pigs were tethered to prevent escape.

Common words containing 豖 include: 豖豖 (chù chù) — Sound of walking; 奔豖 (bēn chù) — to scurry; to rush about; 豖突 (chù tū) — To dash forward.