How to Write 沟 (gōu) — Meaning “Ditch / Channel”

Imagine a hook (勾) pulling water (氵) into a long, narrow ditch. This visual of a hook dragging water helps you remember both the shape and the meaning of a channel or ditch.

Write the left radical 氵 as three separate dots first, then add the right side 勾: start with a left-falling stroke (丿), then a horizontal line that bends down and hooks (㇆), and finally a dot (丶) inside the hook. A common mistake is forgetting the inner dot or making the hook too large, which changes the balance.

Unlike 沟 which means "ditch" or "channel," 㳄 (xián) means "saliva" and has a right side 欠 (qiàn), while 氿 (guǐ) means "spring of water" and has a right side 九 (jiǔ). Visually, the right parts are completely different: 勾 (hook) vs 欠 (owe/mouth open) vs 九 (nine).

沟 appears in important words like 沟通 (gōu tōng, "communicate"), 水沟 (shuǐ gōu, "ditch or gutter"), and 代沟 (dài gōu, "generation gap"). The term 代沟 is a cultural metaphor that compares the distance between generations to a literal ditch that must be bridged.

Common words containing 沟 include: 沟通 (gōu tōng) — Communicate; 水沟 (shuǐ gōu) — Ditch / Gutter; 代沟 (dài gōu) — generation gap.