How to Write 阇 (dū) — Meaning “tower over a city gate; Buddhist monk”

Imagine a city gate (门) with a tall tower on top, and standing on that tower is a Buddhist monk (者) chanting. The monk’s robe and bald head remind you that 阇 relates to a Buddhist teacher or a gate tower. This visual links the two parts together and helps you recall the meaning.

The door radical 门 must be written first, with its vertical hook slightly curved. The inside component 者 should be centered and not too wide; its horizontal strokes should be evenly spaced, and the final dot below the 日 part must be clear. A common mistake is making 者 too large so it touches the outer 门, or forgetting the small hook on the door.

阇 (dū) uses 者 inside 门 and means a city gate tower or a Buddhist monk. 闺 (guī) has 圭 inside 门 and refers to a woman's bedroom or boudoir. 闻 (wén) has 耳 inside 门 and means "to hear". The key difference is the inner component: 者 hints at a person/monk, 圭 suggests jade/gem (associated with women), and 耳 means ear.

阇 is rare in daily life and appears mostly in Buddhist terminology, such as 阇黎 (dū lí) meaning a high-ranking monk, or 阿阇黎 (ā dū lí) meaning a spiritual teacher (Acharya). It also appears in historical texts for a watchtower over a city gate. Knowing this character helps in reading classical Chinese or Buddhist scriptures.

Common words containing 阇 include: 阇黎 (dū lí) — Acarya (a high-ranking Buddhist monk); 阇王 (dū wáng) — King Ajatashatru (a Buddhist figure); 阿阇黎 (ā dū lí) — Acharya (spiritual teacher).