How to Write 湖 (hú) — Meaning “Lake”

Imagine a lake (湖) with water (氵) next to an 'old moon' (胡 is made of 古 for 'old' and 月 for 'moon'). So think: 'By the old moon, there is water—that's a lake.' This links the shape to the meaning.

Write the water radical (氵) first with three quick strokes. Then write 胡: start with 古 (five strokes) and finish with 月 (four strokes). Keep the left part narrow and the right part wide to balance the character.

湖 has the right part 胡 (古 + 月), while 流 uses a different right component that means 'flow' and 浙 uses 折 (a folding radical). Visually, 湖's right side looks like 'old moon'; 流's right side looks like a flowing river, and 浙's right side has a hand and axe shape.

湖 appears in names of lakes, such as 西湖 (Xī Hú, West Lake in Hangzhou), a famous cultural site. It is also used in words like 湖水 (lake water) and 湖边 (lakeside). In China, lakes often have poetic or historical significance, so 湖 appears in many place names and travel contexts.

Common words containing 湖 include: 湖水 (hú shuǐ) — lake water; 西湖 (xī hú) — West Lake (in Hangzhou); 湖边 (hú biān) — lakeside; by the lake.