How to Write 膲 (jiāo) — Meaning “triple burner (TCM term); fat”

Imagine a 'moon' (月) shaped piece of meat that has been 'burned' (焦) to represent the inner organs. This visual of charred flesh can help you recall that 膲 is about the body's triple burner system, which processes heat and energy.

First write the radical 月 (3 strokes) on the left, then write 焦 (13 strokes) on the right. Pay attention that the right part 焦 has a narrow 隹 on top and four dots 灬 below; keep the left and right halves balanced, with the right side slightly wider.

膲 (jiāo) uses the right component 焦 (burned) and means 'triple burner' in TCM, while 朦 (méng) has 蒙 (cover) and means 'hazy' or 'blurred', and 膀 (bǎng) has 旁 (side) and means 'shoulder' or 'arm'. Visually, 膲 has the four-dot fire bottom 灬, which the others lack.

The character 膲 is almost exclusively used in Traditional Chinese Medicine terms such as 三膲 (sān jiāo, triple burner), 上膲 (upper burner), and 下膲 (lower burner). It is not common in everyday conversation, so you will mainly encounter it in medical or acupuncture texts about the body's energy pathways.

Common words containing 膲 include: 三膲 (sān jiāo) — Triple burner (Sanjiao in TCM); 上膲 (shàng jiāo) — Upper burner (Shangjiao in TCM); 下膲 (xià jiāo) — lower burner (in Traditional Chinese Medicine).