How to Write 厚 (hòu) — Meaning “thick; deep; kind”

Imagine a thick cliff wall (厂) with the sun (日) shining down on a child (子) playing below — the layers of rock are so thick that the child feels very safe. This visual ties the parts to the meaning of 'thick' and 'kind' (protective).

Start with the radical 厂: write the horizontal stroke first, then the left-falling stroke. Inside, write 日 from top to bottom, then add the child component 子: start with the horizontal hook (横钩), then the vertical hook, and finish with the long horizontal stroke. A common mistake is making the inner part too narrow; keep 日 and 子 evenly spaced inside 厂.

厓 (yá) means 'cliff' or 'edge' and has 厂 plus 圭 (jade or earth), so it focuses on a steep place. 厕 (cè) means 'toilet' and has 厂 plus 则 (rule/pattern), so it is a covered place. In contrast, 厚 has a sun-and-child component inside, so it means 'thick' or 'deep' rather than a physical location.

厚 is used to describe physical thickness, like 厚衣服 (thick clothes) or 厚度 (thickness). It is also used for emotional depth, such as 厚道 (kind and honest) or 深厚感情 (deep feelings). Culturally, the concept of 'hòu' appears in idioms like 厚德载物, meaning a virtuous person can bear great responsibility.

Common words containing 厚 include: 厚衣服 (hòu yī fú) — thick clothes; 很厚 (hěn hòu) — very thick; 厚度 (hòu dù) — thickness.