How to Write 瓜 (guā) — Meaning “melon”

Imagine a watermelon with stripes: the three strokes on the left side of the character look like the stripes on the fruit. Then the two strokes on the right form the stem. This mental picture helps you recall that 瓜 means melon.

The stroke order is: left-falling stroke, left-falling stroke, horizontal hook, left-falling stroke, then dot. A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide; keep the shape compact and balanced, with the top hook narrow and the lower part slightly rounded.

西瓜 (xīguā) means watermelon and is very common in summer when people eat it to cool down. 瓜子 (guāzǐ) refers to melon seeds, often roasted and eaten as a snack during Chinese New Year or while chatting. 瓜分 (guāfēn) means "to divide up like cutting a melon" and is used when sharing territory or spoils.

瓜 is used for many kinds of melons and gourds, like 甜瓜 (tián guā) for sweet melon. In Chinese culture, watermelon is a symbol of summer and family gatherings, and eating 瓜子 during festivals is a popular pastime that brings people together.

Common words containing 瓜 include: 西瓜 (xī guā) — Watermelon; 瓜子 (guā zi) — melon seeds; 甜瓜 (tián guā) — melon.