How to Write 罡 (gāng) — Meaning “Stellar deity; the handle of the Big Dipper”

Imagine a "net" (罒) catching the "correct" (正) stars in the Big Dipper’s handle. The four strokes of the net capture the four stars of the dipper’s bowl, and the upright 正 below is the straight handle—this picture helps you recall both shape and meaning.

The top radical 罒 is written as a wide rectangle with four vertical strokes inside—do not confuse it with 月 or 目. Below, the character 正 uses five strokes, and the whole character should be balanced vertically; a common mistake is making the top too narrow or the bottom too wide.

罡 has 正 below and means celestial or stellar energy, while 罔 (wǎng) has 亡 below and means "deceive" or "net" (archaic). 罗 (luó) has 夕 below and means "spread out" or "silk net." Visually, the lower part is the key difference: 正 vs. 亡 vs. 夕.

罡 is used in words like 天罡 (Tiangang, stars of the Big Dipper) and 罡风 (strong high-altitude wind), often in Daoist or martial arts contexts. Culturally, it refers to celestial energy and appears in classic novels like Water Margin, where 36 Tiangang spirits are powerful heavenly warriors.

Common words containing 罡 include: 天罡 (tiān gāng) — Tiangang (stars of the Big Dipper or heavenly deities).; 罡风 (gāng fēng) — Strong high-altitude wind; 罡气 (gāng qì) — Vital energy; stellar energy.