How to Write 槲 (hú) — Meaning “Oak”

Imagine a wooden (木) tree with a horn (角) and a ladle (斗) attached to its trunk. The horn and ladle together form 斛, which sounds like "hull" as in acorn hull. This helps you recall 槲 means oak, a tree that produces acorns with hard hulls.

The left radical 木 should be narrow with the diagonal strokes shortened to make room for the right side. The right part 斛 has two components: 角 on top and 斗 on bottom; ensure the top is not too wide and the bottom 斗 aligns vertically. Common mistake is making the left 木 too wide, breaking balance.

槲 (hú) means oak, while 椴 (duàn) means lime tree or basswood, and 椹 (shèn) refers to mulberry fruit or a wooden anvil. Visually, 槲 has the right component 斛, 椴 has 段 (duàn) on the right, and 椹 has 甚 (shèn). They share the wood radical but differ in meaning and pronunciation based on the right parts.

槲 is not a common character in daily conversation but appears in botanical terms like 槲树 (oak tree) and cultural references like 槲寄生 (mistletoe), a plant associated with Christmas in the West. In Chinese culture, 槲叶 (oak leaves) are sometimes used to wrap traditional foods, such as zongzi, in certain regions.

Common words containing 槲 include: 槲树 (hú shù) — Daimyo oak; 槲寄生 (hú jì shēng) — Mistletoe; 槲叶 (hú yè) — Oak leaf.