How to Write 缸 (gāng) — Meaning “jar / vat”

Picture a large clay jar (缶) that you have to work hard (工) to fill with water or fish. You can also think of a "gang" of fish living in a tank, which sounds like gāng. This visual helps link the shape and sound.

Start with the left radical 缶, which has 6 strokes: first write the left-slanting stroke, then the horizontal, vertical, horizontal, then the two dots. Then add the right part 工 (3 strokes). A common mistake is making the 缶 too wide—keep it narrow so the whole character stays balanced.

缸 has the right side 工 and means a jar or vat. 䍃 is very rare and also means a kind of jar, but it uses a different right component (爫+? actually 䍃 has 爫 and 匕? Not common). 缺 (quē) has the right side 夬, not 工, and means "to lack" or "deficient." So visually, 缸 and 缺 look different on the right, and their meanings are unrelated.

缸 appears in common compound words like 鱼缸 (fish tank), 水缸 (water vat), and 烟灰缸 (ashtray). It describes a container, usually made of glass or pottery, used for storing water, keeping fish, or holding ash. Although not in the HSK list, these words are everyday items in Chinese homes.

Common words containing 缸 include: 鱼缸 (yú gāng) — Fish tank (aquarium); 水缸 (shuǐ gāng) — Water vat; 烟灰缸 (yān huī gāng) — ashtray.