How to Write 垛 (duǒ) — Meaning “pile; stack; battlement”

Imagine a pile of dirt (土) shaped like an ear (朵) — a small mound or stack of earth. Or picture a castle wall with notched battlements (城垛) that look like rows of ears sticking up from the ground.

Write the left radical 土 with the bottom horizontal line turning into a slight upward stroke to leave room for the right part. The right component 朵 starts with a short top stroke, then a vertical line, and the bottom 木 must be balanced. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep the 朵 narrow so the whole character stays compact.

圻 (qí) means 'boundary' or 'bank' and uses 斤 (axe), while 圼 (niè) is a rare character meaning 'to cut' or 'hill'. Compared to 垛, which has 朵 and means a pile or battlement, these two are unrelated in daily use and focus on boundaries or cutting, not stacking.

垛 is used in words like 垛子 (a stack or buttress) and 堆垛 (to pile up), often for physical stacks of hay, bricks, or earth. In 城垛, it refers to the notched parapets on ancient city walls, so you may see it in historical or architectural contexts.

Common words containing 垛 include: 垛子 (duǒ zi) — stack; pile; buttress; 堆垛 (duī duǒ) — to stack; to pile up; 城垛 (chéng duǒ) — battlement; crenel.