How to Write 棍 (gùn) — Meaning “stick or rod”

Imagine a wooden stick (木) being held by a big brother (昆, which means 'elder brother' in Chinese). The brother uses the stick to point or play, so you remember that 棍 means 'stick'.

The left radical 木 is written first: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. Then write the right part 昆: start with the 日 on top, then the 比 below — be careful to keep 比 balanced and not too wide, as it has four strokes in a compact shape.

柴 (chái) means 'firewood' and has 此 (this) on the right, while 栓 (shuān) means 'bolt' or 'plug' and has 全 (complete) on the right. 棍 is specifically a long stick or rod, whereas 柴 refers to small pieces of wood for burning and 栓 is a tool for blocking or fastening.

You often see 棍 in words like 棍子 (a stick), 木棍 (a wooden stick), and 冰棍 (a popsicle). It can also appear in slang, such as 恶棍 (è gùn), meaning a villain or scoundrel, so be careful with context.

Common words containing 棍 include: 棍子 (gùn zi) — stick or rod; 木棍 (mù gùn) — wooden stick; 冰棍 (bīng gùn) — Popsicle; ice lolly.