How to Write 邨 (cūn) — Meaning “Village”

Imagine a "village" (屯) built next to a hill (阝). The right side 屯 looks like a small house with a roof and a door, and the left ear radical 阝 represents the hill where the village is located. This visual of a hill-side settlement helps link the character to its meaning.

The left radical 阝 is written first: a horizontal stroke, then a vertical stroke with a hook. The right part 屯 has four strokes: horizontal, vertical-bend (like an L shape), another horizontal, and finally a vertical-curve-hook (like a fishhook). A common mistake is confusing the last stroke of 屯 with a simple vertical hook – it must curve to the right then hook upward.

邨 has 屯 on the right, meaning "village", while 邓 (dèng) has 又 (again) and is a surname, and 邗 (hán) has 干 (shield/dry) and is a place name. Visually, 屯 has a horizontal stroke and a curved hook at the bottom, whereas 又 looks like a cross, and 干 is a simple T shape. Their meanings are completely unrelated to villages.

邨 is a traditional variant of 村 (cūn) and is commonly found in Hong Kong place names, such as 杏花邨 (Xìnghuā Cūn, Heng Fa Chuen). It is also used in terms like 邨屋 (village house) and 邨民 (villager), especially in older or more classical contexts. In mainland China, 村 is preferred, so 邨 gives a nostalgic or regional flavor.

Common words containing 邨 include: 杏花邨 (xìng huā cūn) — Heng Fa Chuen (a place name); 邨屋 (cūn wū) — Village house; 邨民 (cūn mín) — Villager.