How to Write 箍 (gū) — Meaning “hoop / to bind with a hoop”

Imagine a bamboo hoop (竹) that you pull very tight to make it firm (固) around a barrel. This visual of a strong, fixed bamboo ring helps connect the parts to the meaning of a hoop or binding.

Write the bamboo radical ⺮ first as two short, left-slanting strokes, then draw the 固 below. In 固, start with the outer box (囗), then write 古 inside — common mistakes include making the top bamboo too wide or forgetting the bottom horizontal line in the box.

Unlike 箍, which means 'hoop' and contains 固 (firm), 筀 is made of 竹 + 圭 (jade) and refers to a type of bamboo, and 筅 is 竹 + 先 (first) meaning a bamboo brush. The key difference is the lower component: 箍 uses 固, while the others use 圭 or 先.

You see 箍 in everyday words like 发箍 (headband) and 铁箍 (iron hoop), and in the craft term 箍桶 (to hoop a bucket). It is not in HSK but is used in traditional cooperage and describes anything that binds or circles tightly.

Common words containing 箍 include: 发箍 (fà gū) — headband; hair hoop; 铁箍 (tiě gū) — iron hoop; 箍桶 (gū tǒng) — to hoop a bucket / cooperage.