How to Write 虘 (cuó) — Meaning “Cruel; fierce (archaic).”

Picture a tiger (虍) holding a large pair of scissors (the shape of 且) to symbolize being 'cruel and cutting.' The image of a tiger with sharp scissors helps you recall that 虘 means cruel or fierce in old texts.

Pay attention to the radical 虍: the top hook (亅) should be written with a sharp turn, and the left side curves slightly outward. The lower part 且 must be centered under the tiger radical, with its top horizontal stroke aligned just below the hook. A common mistake is making 且 too wide or misplacing the vertical stroke, which breaks the balance.

虘 (cuó) uses the tiger radical 虍 with 且 below and means 'cruel' in archaic Chinese. 虐 (nüè) also contains 虍 but has a different lower part (⺕ + 匕) and is more common, meaning 'abuse' or 'tyranny.' 虑 (lǜ) uses 虍 on top with 心 (heart) below, meaning 'to consider'—the heart radical gives a thoughtful feel, unlike 虘's aggressive sense.

虘 is extremely rare in modern Chinese and appears only in classical texts or historical references. It is not part of the HSK vocabulary and is mostly encountered by scholars studying ancient literature. You might see it in words like 虘暴 (cuó bào, cruel and violent) in historical descriptions, but it is not used in daily conversation.

Common words containing 虘 include: 虘肆 (cuó sì) — Cruel and unrestrained.; 虘虘 (cuó cuó) — Fierce; cruel.; 虘暴 (cuó bào) — Cruel and violent..