How to Write 旮 (gā) — Meaning “corner; nook”

Imagine the character looks like a small room with a sun (日) shining into it, and the bottom part 九 resembles a crooked corner. Picture a nine-shaped bend in a wall where the sun barely enters. This mental image helps you connect the shape to the meaning "nook" or "corner."

Write 旮 by first drawing the top radical 日 (three strokes: vertical, horizontal, then bottom horizontal), then the bottom part 九 (two strokes: left-slanting stroke first, then horizontal bent stroke). A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide or writing 九 with the wrong stroke direction, so keep the overall shape narrow and balanced.

旮 always has the bottom component 九 (nine), while 日 is just the sun radical alone, and 旦 has a horizontal line under 日 (representing the horizon). Visually, 旮 looks top-heavy with a crooked base, whereas 日 is square and 旦 is flat on the bottom. In meaning, 旮 always refers to a corner, never to the sun or dawn.

旮 is almost always used in the word 旮旯 (gā lá), meaning a corner, nook, or a remote, out-of-the-way place. It is common in informal speech, especially in northern dialects like Beijing dialect, where 旮旯 also implies a small, unnoticed space. You will rarely see 旮 alone; it always pairs with 旯 in everyday writing or conversation.

Common words containing 旮 include: 旮旯 (gā lá) — corner; nook; out-of-the-way place; 墙旮旯 (qiáng gā lá) — Corner or nook of a wall.; 山旮旯 (shān gā lá) — Remote mountain area.