How to Write 茨 (cí) — Meaning “thatch”

Imagine a house with a roof made of grass (艹) and the door has a sign saying "Next house" (次). The "Next house" sign tells you that this is a thatched roof, and you need to remember that 茨 means thatch.

Write the grass radical 艹 first with three strokes: horizontal, vertical, vertical. Then write 次: starting with the left dot, then two horizontal strokes, then a vertical hook, and finally the right stroke. Keep the top grass radical narrow and the bottom 次 wide to maintain balance.

茨 has the grass radical 艹 above 次 (cì), while 兹 (zī) has the same top but a different bottom: 玄 (xuán, dark). 芈 (mǐ) is completely different, with a central vertical line through the grass. In meaning, 茨 means thatch, 兹 means "this" or "now," and 芈 is an ancient surname.

茨 is not common in everyday Chinese but appears in plant names like 茨菰 (cí gū, arrowhead plant) and in literary terms like 茅茨 (máo cí, thatched roof). It also appears in 茨冈 (cí gāng), a historical term for Romani people, though this usage is rare and sometimes considered outdated.

Common words containing 茨 include: 茨菰 (cí gū) — arrowhead (plant); 茅茨 (máo cí) — Thatched roof; 茨冈 (cí gāng) — Gypsy.