How to Write 鲴 (gù) — Meaning “Xenocypris (a type of carp)”

Imagine a fish (鱼) that is very sturdy and solid, like something 'firm' or 'fixed' — this connects to the right part 固, which means 'solid' or 'firm'. So you can remember 鲴 as the 'firm fish,' a type of carp known for its strong body. This visual link between the sound and the idea of solidity helps fix the character in your memory.

Pay special attention to the right side 固: the outer box must be written with three strokes (a vertical, a horizontal fold, and a vertical hook), and the inner 古 should be centered with the horizontal stroke of 古 not touching the top line. Also, the left radical 鱼 has a final horizontal stroke that should be slightly shorter than the top part of the right side to keep balance.

鲴 (gù) is a type of carp, while 鲑 (guī) means salmon and 鲒 (jié) refers to a kind of clam or small fish. Visually, 鲴 has the phonetic component 固 on the right, 鲑 has 圭 (gui), and 鲒 has 吉 (jí). The different right-side radicals change both the pronunciation and the specific fish or shellfish meaning.

鲴 is a specialized character used mainly in biology and fishing contexts to refer to the genus Xenocypris, a type of freshwater carp. It appears in compound names like 鲴鱼 (general term) and 银鲴 (silver xenocypris). This character is rare in everyday conversation but may be encountered in Chinese aquaculture texts or regional menus where these fish are eaten.

Common words containing 鲴 include: 鲴鱼 (gù yú) — Xenocypris fish; 银鲴 (yín gù) — Silver xenocypris (fish); 细鳞鲴 (xì lín gù) — Fine-scale dace (a type of fish).