How to Write 臌 (gǔ) — Meaning “swelling of the abdomen”

Picture a drum (鼓) made of flesh (月) that is stretched tight and bulging out, just like a very full belly. The image of a drum-shaped belly helps link the parts to the meaning "swelling of the abdomen."

Write the left radical 月 first, narrow and straight. Then write the right part 鼓, which has its own complex stroke order: start with the top 士, then the middle 口, then the bottom 又 — the whole right side should be wider than 月. Common mistakes include making the right side too narrow or confusing the bottom strokes of 鼓.

臌 means a specific abdominal swelling (like dropsy), while 朦 means hazy or dim, and 膘 means animal fat or thick meat. Visually, 臌 has the right side 鼓 (drum), 朦 has 蒙 (cover), and 膘 has 票 (ticket). So check the right side to tell them apart.

臌 appears mainly in medical or traditional Chinese medicine contexts, such as in the word 臌胀 (gǔ zhàng) for abdominal distension or ascites. It is not used in everyday conversation, so you will mostly encounter it in health articles or classical medical texts.

Common words containing 臌 include: 臌胀 (gǔ zhàng) — abdominal distension; dropsy; 臌起 (gǔ qǐ) — to swell up; to bulge; 肚子臌 (dǔ zi gǔ) — Distended belly; swollen stomach..