How to Write 楛 (hù) — Meaning “coarse / shoddy”

Imagine an ancient (古) wooden (木) arrow that is rough and poorly made — you would say "Whoa (hù), this arrow is shoddy!" The sound of 'hù' matches the exclamation 'whoa' in English, linking the pinyin and meaning.

The right side 古 has five strokes, and the horizontal line in the middle should be written before the vertical line below it. Keep the left 木 narrower and the right 古 balanced, avoiding making the right side too wide.

楛 (hù) means coarse or shoddy, while 桫 (suō) is part of a tree name (桫椤, a fern) and 桲 (bó) refers to a type of fruit tree or a wooden tool. Visually, 桫 has 沙 on the right, and 桲 has 孛, both with different pronunciations and meanings.

楛 is rare and not in HSK; it appears mostly in classical or formal writing. Common words like 楛窳 (hù yǔ) describe poorly made goods, and 楛矢 refers to a coarse arrow, so you might see it in historical or literary contexts about craftsmanship.

Common words containing 楛 include: 楛窳 (hù yǔ) — shoddy / poorly made; 楛木 (hù mù) — coarse wood; 楛矢 (hù shǐ) — coarse arrow.