How to Write 痼 (gù) — Meaning “chronic; deep-rooted”

Think of a stubborn illness (疒) that is 'glued' in place — the right part 固 sounds like 'goo' (sticky). Visualize a sticky disease that refuses to leave, making it chronic.

The left radical 疒 has three strokes (dot, horizontal, left-falling) before the inner dot and vertical. The right part 固 must be balanced: the outer box should not be too wide, and the inner 古 should fit neatly inside. A common mistake is making the left radical too tall or the right part too small.

痼 means 'chronic' or 'deep-rooted,' while 疵 (cī) means a small flaw or blemish, and 痊 (quán) means to recover fully. Visually, 痼 contains 固 (solid enclosure), 疵 contains 此 (this), and 痊 contains 全 (complete). So 痼 emphasizes permanence, 疵 a minor defect, and 痊 a return to health.

痼 appears mostly in formal or medical writing, such as 痼疾 (chronic illness) or 痼习 (deep-rooted habit). It is not common in daily speech but is used to describe problems that are hard to cure or change. Culturally, it often carries a tone of seriousness and persistence.

Common words containing 痼 include: 痼疾 (gù jí) — chronic illness; deep-rooted disease; 痼习 (gù xí) — deep-rooted habit; chronic habit; 沉痼 (chén gù) — chronic illness; deep-rooted habit.