How to Write 灸 (jiǔ) — Meaning “moxibustion”

Imagine a person sitting calmly for a long time (久) while a small fire (火) burns nearby to heal their body. The picture of "long fire" helps you connect the character to the medical practice of moxibustion.

The top part 久 has three strokes: a left-falling stroke, a horizontal hook, and a right-falling stroke — make sure the hook is not too sharp. The bottom 火 must be written narrow so the whole character stays compact; a common mistake is making 火 too wide, which throws off the balance.

灸 means 'moxibustion' and contains 久 (long time) on top of fire, while 灭 (miè) means 'extinguish' and has a horizontal line covering the fire to block it. 灯 (dēng) means 'lamp' and uses 丁 (nail) as a sound hint with fire below — so 灸 is the only one related to long-lasting therapeutic heat.

灸 appears mainly in medical terms like 针灸 (acupuncture and moxibustion) and 艾灸 (moxibustion with mugwort). It is a core part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and many clinics in China and around the world offer this therapy for pain relief and wellness.

Common words containing 灸 include: 针灸 (zhēn jiǔ) — Acupuncture; 艾灸 (ài jiǔ) — moxibustion; 灸治 (jiǔ zhì) — treat with moxibustion.