How to Write 獾 (huān) — Meaning “Badger”

Imagine a badger (獾) with a dog-like face (犭) peeking out of a burrow that looks like the right side 雚, with two round eyes and a roof over its head. This visual combines the animal radical with the burrow shape, helping you recall that 獾 means 'badger'.

The character has 20 strokes, so write the left radical 犭 first (3 strokes), then the right side 雚 starting from the top. A common mistake is making the left 犭 too wide—keep it narrow and tall, while the right side should be wider and balanced. Also, note that the bottom of 雚 has two 口 shapes stacked, not three.

The most common word is 獾子 (huān zi), which simply means 'badger' and is used in wildlife contexts. 猪獾 (zhū huān) refers to a hog badger, a specific species found in Asia. 獾皮 (huān pí) means badger fur or skin, often mentioned in discussions about traditional clothing or leather goods.

獾 appears mostly in nature documentaries, wildlife articles, or traditional Chinese medicine—for example, 獾油 (badger oil) is sometimes used as a folk remedy for burns. In Chinese culture, the badger is not as symbolic as in Western stories, but it is recognized as a wild animal that lives in burrows and is rarely seen in daily life.

Common words containing 獾 include: 獾子 (huān zi) — Badger; 猪獾 (zhū huān) — hog badger; 獾皮 (huān pí) — Badger skin / Badger fur.