How to Write 鳏 (guān) — Meaning “widower”

Imagine a fish (鱼) swimming alone in the ocean — the right side of the character looks like a lonely person with a wide hat. This picture helps you connect the fish radical with the idea of a widower who has lost his partner.

Start by writing the left radical 鱼 (8 strokes) with its standard stroke order. Then carefully write the right side, which has many horizontal lines and a top part similar to 罒. Keep both sides balanced so the right side is not too wide.

鲭 (qīng) means mackerel and has a right side 青, while 鲮 (líng) means dace and has a right side 夌. 鳏 (guān) means widower and has a more complex right side with extra strokes. Even though all three contain the fish radical, only 鳏 is not a fish name.

鳏 appears mainly in formal or literary contexts, such as the idiom 鳏寡孤独 (widowers, widows, orphans, and the elderly). In everyday conversation, people usually say 单身汉 or 失去妻子的男人 instead. It carries a slightly old-fashioned or poetic tone.

Common words containing 鳏 include: 鳏夫 (guān fū) — widower; 鳏居 (guān jū) — to live as a widower; 鳏寡 (guān guǎ) — widowers and widows.