How to Write 葱 (cōng) — Meaning “scallion / green onion”

Imagine you are in a hurry (匆) to chop some green onions (葱) for your stir-fry. The grass radical 艹 reminds you it is a plant, and the "hurry" part helps you recall the sound cōng. This visual of quickly cutting scallions will stick in your memory.

Make sure the grass radical 艹 is wide enough to cover the bottom part 匆. The bottom part 匆 has a dot inside the wrapping stroke, and the last hook should curl upward slightly. A common mistake is making the bottom too tall or forgetting the dot.

葱 means scallion or green onion, while 荷 means lotus and 荸 is part of 荸荠 (water chestnut). Visually, 葱 has 匆 below, 荷 has 何 (with a person radical), and 荸 has 孛. They are different plants, so pay attention to the bottom component to avoid confusion.

葱 is most often used in cooking, especially as a seasoning or garnish in dishes like 大葱蘸酱 (scallion dipped in sauce). Chopped green onions (葱花) are sprinkled on soups and noodles. It is a very common ingredient in Chinese kitchens.

Common words containing 葱 include: 大葱 (dà cōng) — Scallion; 葱花 (cōng huā) — chopped green onions; 洋葱 (yáng cōng) — Onion..