How to Write 骺 (hóu) — Meaning “epiphysis”

Think of the epiphysis as the "back end" of a long bone. The right side 后 means "behind" or "after," so you can remember 骺 as the "back part of the bone" — bone (骨) + behind (后). This visual link makes the meaning stick.

The left radical 骨 is 9 strokes and must be written with the hook at the bottom, which learners often forget. The right side 后 has 6 strokes starting with a left-falling stroke. Keep the left part slightly narrower and balance the two halves; a common error is making 骨 too wide or misplacing the hook.

骺 has the right component 后 (hòu) and means epiphysis (end of bone). 骰 has 殳 (shū) on the right and means "dice." 骱 has 介 (jiè) and means "joint" (as in bone joint). Visually, check the right side — 后 vs. 殳 vs. 介 — and the meaning changes completely.

骺 is a specialized medical term used mainly in anatomy and orthopedics, such as 骨骺 (epiphysis) and 骺软骨 (epiphyseal cartilage). It is not used in daily conversation but is important for discussing bone growth in children, especially the growth plate (骺板). In traditional Chinese medicine, it appears in texts about skeletal structure.

Common words containing 骺 include: 骨骺 (gǔ hóu) — epiphysis; 骺线 (hóu xiàn) — epiphyseal line; 骺软骨 (hóu ruǎn gǔ) — epiphyseal cartilage.