How to Write 狗 (gǒu) — Meaning “Dog”

Picture the animal radical 犭 as a dog standing on two legs, and the right part 句 as a hook-shaped leash in the owner's hand. Imagine the dog pulling on the leash — "Gǒu!" (狗) means dog!

Start with the left radical 犭: write the first stroke (撇), then the curved hook (弯钩), and finally the second 撇 inside the hook — make sure the hook curves smoothly. For the right side 句, write the 撇 first, then the 横折钩, and the 口 part should be narrow and not too wide.

狗 has the phonetic 句 on the right, while 犴 has 干 (gàn) instead — 犴 is a rare archaic word for a wild dog or a jail. 状 has the radical 丬 on the left and 大 on the right, meaning 'shape' or 'appearance' — it is not related to dogs at all.

狗 is the standard word for 'dog', used in daily conversation, for pets, and in compounds like 小狗 (puppy) and 狗粮 (dog food). In Chinese culture, dogs are often seen as loyal, but some negative idioms exist, such as 狗仗人势 (a dog relying on its master's power), so be careful when using the word in figurative expressions.

Common words containing 狗 include: 小狗 (xiǎo gǒu) — puppy; 狗粮 (gǒu liáng) — Dog food; 喂狗 (wèi gǒu) — to feed the dog.