How to Write 匆 (cōng) — Meaning “hurried; rushed”

Picture someone wrapping (勹) their coat quickly as they run, with a dot (丶) representing a sweat drop and two strokes (丿 and ㇏) symbolizing moving legs. This image reminds you of being in a hurry (匆).

Start with the left-falling stroke (丿), then the horizontal hook (㇆) to form the wrap, followed by the dot (丶) inside. Do not make the inner strokes too tall or wide—keep them compact, and finish with a long right-falling stroke (㇏) that extends slightly beyond the wrap.

匆 has five strokes with a dot and a downward-right stroke inside the wrap, while 勺 (sháo, spoon) has only three strokes with just a dot inside. 勾 (gōu, hook) starts with a different top stroke (丿, then ㇆, then ㇏? Actually 勾 has 丿? Better: 勾 has a hook shape and often means "hook," whereas 匆 specifically means "hurried". Visually, 匆 is more complex with extra inner strokes.

匆 appears in common words like 匆忙 (cōngmáng, hasty) and 匆匆 (cōngcōng, hurriedly) to describe actions done quickly or without care. It is often used in written Chinese or formal speech, and you may see it in signs or notices like "匆促" (cōngcù) to warn against rushing.

Common words containing 匆 include: 匆忙 (cōng máng) — hasty; in a hurry; 匆匆 (cōng cōng) — hurriedly; in a rush; 匆促 (cōng cù) — hurried; hasty.