How to Write 篼 (dōu) — Meaning “basket or sedan chair”

Think of a bamboo plant (竹) growing into the shape of a pocket (兜) — that pocket becomes a basket for carrying things. Visualize a person wearing a bamboo back basket that looks like a big pocket on their back.

Start by writing the 竹 radical: first the left part (丿一丶), then the right part (丿一丶). For the bottom 兜, remember it has 11 strokes — the left side is like 白 with a hook, and the right side has a curved stroke. A common mistake is to make the bottom too wide; keep it balanced under the bamboo.

篼 has the bottom 兜 which looks like a bag, while 箴 (zhēn) has 咸 meaning "salty" and is used for needles or warnings, and 篁 (huáng) has 皇 meaning "emperor" and refers to a bamboo grove. Visually, 箴 has more strokes on the right, and 篁 has a simpler bottom with 王.

篼 appears in words like 背篼 (back basket) used by farmers in mountainous areas to carry goods, and 篼子 (bamboo sedan chair) for carrying people. These items are traditional in southern China and are still used in rural villages, but the character is rare in everyday Mandarin.

Common words containing 篼 include: 背篼 (bèi dōu) — Back basket; 篼子 (dōu zi) — bamboo sedan chair; 竹篼 (zhú dōu) — Bamboo carrier basket.