How to Write 鲑 (guī) — Meaning “Salmon”

Imagine a salmon swimming with a 'guy' (圭 sounds like 'guy') wearing a crown made of fish scales. The fish radical (鱼) on the left reminds you it's a fish, and 'guy' helps you recall the sound 'guī'. Picture the 'guy' salmon leaping up a waterfall to remember the character.

The left radical 鱼 has 8 strokes; be careful to write the last horizontal stroke from left to right and then turn down into a hook. The right part 圭 has two 土 (earth) stacked, so keep the vertical strokes aligned and the two halves balanced. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the dot above the first 土.

鲑 (salmon) has the right component 圭, while 鱿 (squid) has 尤 on the right and 鲁 (Shandong or dull) has 鲁 as its own character with 鱼 on top and 日 below. Visually, 鲑 is the only one with stacked 土, and its meaning is a specific fish, whereas 鱿 refers to squid and 鲁 is not a fish but a place or adjective.

鲑 is most commonly used in the word 鲑鱼 (guī yú) meaning 'salmon', which is a popular fish in cuisine and is often imported. It appears on menus, in grocery stores, and in discussions about healthy eating. While not an HSK word, it is recognized by Chinese speakers, especially in coastal cities or contexts involving Western or Japanese food.

Common words containing 鲑 include: 鲑鱼 (guī yú) — Salmon; 鲑鱼肉 (guī yú ròu) — Salmon meat; 红鲑 (hóng guī) — Sockeye salmon.