How to Write 滹 (hū) — Meaning “Hu (used in river names)”

Imagine a river (氵) that is so deep you can hear a "呼 (hū)" sound as the water flows. The right part 乎 looks like a person calling out, which can remind you of the sound "hū". Picture the Hutuo River with waves making a "whoosh" noise.

The left water radical 氵 should be written narrow, with the last stroke curving upward to make room for the right side. The right part 乎 has a balanced structure: a flat top, a hook stroke below, and two dots. A common mistake is making the left part too wide or forgetting the hook on the right.

滹 is only used in the name of the Hutuo River and similar river names, while 渝 is used in the city name Chongqing (重庆) and means "to change". 渡 means "to cross" a river or a ferry crossing. Visually, 滹 has 乎 on the right, 渝 has 俞, and 渡 has 度.

滹 is almost exclusively found in the geographical name 滹沱河 (Hutuo River), a river in northern China that flows through Hebei Province. The river has historical significance, as it was mentioned in ancient texts and was a natural barrier in battles. You will rarely see this character used outside of that river name.

Common words containing 滹 include: 滹沱河 (hū tuó hé) — Hutuo River; 滹沱 (hū tuó) — Hutuo (river name); 滹水 (hū shuǐ) — Hu River.