How to Write 涸 (hé) — Meaning “To dry up”

Imagine a river (氵) that is trapped inside a solid barrier (固) with no way to flow — it slowly dries up. The picture of water held firm and unable to move helps you recall that 涸 means "to dry up." Visualize the right side 固 as a closed container that locks the water inside until it evaporates.

The left radical 氵 should be narrow and written with three dots in a curved line, while the right side 固 is wider and balanced. A common mistake is to make the enclosure 囗 too small or to forget the final bottom stroke that closes the box. The inner part 古 must be centered and not touch the top or bottom of the enclosure.

涸 (hé) has the right component 固 (a box with 古 inside) and means "to dry up." 洁 (jié) has 吉 on the right and means "clean." 洄 (huí) has 回 on the right and means "to flow back" or "to swirl." Visually, the right sides are different: 固, 吉, and 回 are distinct shapes, so focus on those to avoid confusion.

涸 appears mostly in formal or literary contexts, such as the word 干涸 (gān hé) for a dried-up river, lake, or well, and 涸竭 (hé jié) for resources that are completely exhausted. It is also found in the idiom 涸辙之鲋 (a fish in a dried-up rut), which describes someone in a desperate and helpless situation. You will rarely see 涸 in everyday conversation, but it is important for reading classical literature or news about environmental issues.

Common words containing 涸 include: 干涸 (gān hé) — to dry up / desiccated; 涸竭 (hé jié) — Dried up / exhausted; 涸 (hé) — To dry up.