How to Write 鬏 (jiū) — Meaning “small hair bun”

Picture a person with long hair (髟) tied into a small bun that looks like a round autumn fruit (秋). The autumn part reminds you of the sound "jiu" like in "September" when you think of fall, helping you recall the pronunciation.

When writing 鬏, ensure the top radical 髟 is written with three long strokes at the right side, not shorter ones. The bottom part 秋 must be placed neatly under the radical, and the left side of 秋 (禾) should be narrower to fit the overall square shape of the character.

鬏 (jiū) means a small hair bun, while 鬃 (zōng) refers to bristles or mane of an animal, such as horsehair, and 鬄 (tì) means a wig or hairpiece. Visually, 鬃 has 宗 on the bottom, and 鬄 has 易, so the bottom part is the key difference.

鬏 is a less common character mostly used in informal or descriptive contexts to refer to a small hair bun, especially in traditional hairstyles. You might hear it in phrases like 鬏儿 (jiū ér) when talking about a little bun on a child's head, but it is not frequently used in daily conversation.

Common words containing 鬏 include: 鬏儿 (jiū ér) — small hair bun; 梳鬏 (shū jiū) — to comb a small hair knot; 小鬏 (xiǎo jiū) — small hair bun.