How to Write 嵯 (cuó) — Meaning “jagged / irregular”

Picture a mountain (山) with a saw-like, jagged edge, and the bottom part 差 looks like a 'difference' in height. Imagine saying 'that mountain has differences in its peaks' to link to the meaning of jagged.

The top part 山 should be narrow, about one-third the height of the whole character. The bottom 差 has 9 strokes; be careful not to make the lower 工 portion too wide, keeping the overall shape tall and balanced. Common mistakes include writing the top mountain too wide or the bottom components uneven.

峨 (é) means 'lofty' and is used in place names like 峨眉山, emphasizing height. 峪 (yù) means 'valley' and contains 谷 (valley). 嵯 specifically describes jagged, uneven shapes, not just tall or a valley, so it focuses on irregular, sharp terrain.

嵯 appears mainly in literary or descriptive writing, such as the word 嵯峨 (cuó é) for tall and jagged mountains. It is not common in daily conversation but can be found in poetry, classical texts, or as part of the place name 嵯峨山 (Mount Cuoe) in Japan and China.

Common words containing 嵯 include: 嵯峨 (cuó é) — lofty and jagged; 嵯嵯 (cuó cuó) — jagged / uneven; 嵯峨山 (cuó é shān) — Mount Cuoe.