How to Write 广 (guǎng) — Meaning “wide; broad; vast”

Imagine a wide, flat roof with a small dot on top—like a hat covering a large area. The three strokes (dot, horizontal line, left-falling line) look like a simple drawing of a broad shelter.

Write the dot first at the top left, then a slightly slanted horizontal line, and finally a left-falling stroke that curves outward. A common mistake is making the horizontal too short or the falling stroke too vertical, which makes the character look narrow instead of wide.

广 has a dot at the top left, while 平 has a flat horizontal line and a vertical stroke in the center. 庀 contains 广 on top plus the component 匕 underneath, so it has more strokes and a different meaning (to prepare or cover).

广 is very common in words like 广场 (public square) and 广告 (advertisement). It also appears in place names such as 广州 (Guangzhou) and 广东 (Guangdong), reflecting the idea of broad regions.

Common words containing 广 include: 广场 (guǎng chǎng) — public square; plaza; 广告 (guǎng gào) — advertisement; ad; 广大 (guǎng dà) — vast; wide; extensive.