How to Write 氿 (guǐ) — Meaning “A spring flowing from the side of a hill”

Imagine a hill with a spring of water (氵) emerging from its side, and the water follows a curvy path shaped like the number nine (九). This visual of water winding along a nine-shaped route helps you recall that 氿 means a spring flowing sideways.

Start with the water radical: three dots in a diagonal line, then write 九: first a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal bent hook, and finally a short stroke. Keep the water radical compact and the 九 balanced; a common mistake is making the 九 too wide, which throws off the character's proportions.

氿 uses the water radical plus 九 (nine) and means a side-flowing spring or appears in lake names. 㳄 has 氵 plus 欠 and means saliva or flow, but it is extremely rare. 汀 uses 氵 plus 丁 (nail) and refers to a small sandbank. Visually, 氿 has a nine-like right side, while 汀 has a simple cross shape on the right.

氿 is mainly used in place names, especially two lakes in Yixing, Jiangsu: 东氿 (East Dongjiu) and 西氿 (West Xijiu). It can also describe a side-flowing spring, but this usage is very uncommon today. Learners will most likely encounter it in geographical contexts or classical literature.

Common words containing 氿 include: 氿泉 (guǐ quán) — A side-flowing spring; 东氿 (dōng guǐ) — Dongjiu (a lake in Yixing, China); 西氿 (xī guǐ) — Xijiu (a lake in Yixing, Jiangsu).