How to Write 构 (gòu) — Meaning “to construct; structure”

Imagine a carpenter using a wooden hook (勾) to lift and join wooden beams (木) when constructing a building. This visual of "wooden hook" helps you link the left wood radical with the right hook component, making 构 easy to recall as 'to construct'.

Write the left radical 木 first: horizontal line, vertical through center, left-falling stroke, then right-falling stroke. Then add the right part 勾: first a left-falling stroke (丿), then a horizontal hook (㇆), and finally the small 厶 (private) shape. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or the hook stroke too long; keep the overall character balanced and compact.

构 (to construct) has a clear left-right structure with 木 and 勾. 朱 (zhu, vermilion or a surname) is also left-right but with a vertical line through 木 and an extra horizontal stroke, giving it a different shape. 朴 (pǔ, simple) has 木 on the left and 卜 (divination) on the right, and is much simpler — think of a single stroke on the right instead of the hook-shaped 勾.

构 appears in common HSK 4 words like 结构 (structure), 机构 (organization/institution), and 构成 (to constitute). It is used for both physical structures (e.g., building frames) and abstract systems (e.g., social structure, organizational mechanism). Culturally, 构 emphasizes the idea of joining parts into a coherent whole, reflecting the importance of order and system in Chinese thinking.

Common words containing 构 include: 结构 (jié gòu) — Structure or construction.; 机构 (jī gòu) — organization; institution; mechanism; 构成 (gòu chéng) — to constitute; to form.