How to Write 崮 (gù) — Meaning “Mesa / flat-topped hill”

Think of a "solid" (固) "mountain" (山) that has a flat, table-like top. Imagine a sturdy mountain with a flat surface where you could place a table. This connects the shape and meaning of the character to the idea of a mesa.

Write the mountain radical 山 first (3 strokes), then the lower component 固 (8 strokes). In 固, the outer enclosure must be drawn after the inner 古 part: start with the top horizontal, left vertical, then write 古 inside, and finally close the bottom horizontal. Keep the mountain radical narrower than the lower part to maintain balance.

崮 (gù) means a flat-topped hill and contains 固 (solid). 峇 (bā) means a gorge or valley and has 谷 (valley) below the mountain radical. 峋 (xún) is used in 嶙峋 (lín xún, meaning "craggy") and has 旬 (ten-day period) as its lower part. Unlike 崮, none of these refer to a specific mesa landform.

崮 is a geographic term for the flat-topped hills found in Shandong Province, China. It appears in place names like 孟良崮 (Menglianggu), a famous site from the Chinese Civil War, and 岱崮 (Daigu), a scenic area. It is not part of everyday vocabulary but is important for understanding regional geography and history.

Common words containing 崮 include: 崮子 (gù zi) — Guzi (mesa-like hill); 孟良崮 (mèng liáng gù) — Menglianggu (a mountain in Shandong); 岱崮 (dài gù) — Daigu (a landform in Shandong).