How to Write 厩 (jiù) — Meaning “stable; barn”

Picture a horse stable under a cliff overhang (厂) with hay already (既) piled inside. The left part looks like a roof, and the right part 既 can remind you the horse is 'already' in the barn.

Start with the left broad horizontal stroke of 厂, then the inner component 既. The 厂's vertical stroke should be short, and the inner part must not extend below it. Common mistake: making the 厂 too small or writing 既's strokes out of order — first the top left 既 part (彐), then the lower right (尢-like).

厗 (tí) is rare and means 'stone' or 'stele', with 厂 over 辛 (spicy), not related to animals. 厘 (lí) means 'regulate' or 'centi-', with 厂 over 里 (inside); it's common in measurements. 厩 specifically refers to a stable for horses or livestock, and is visually distinct with 既 inside.

厩 is mostly found in formal or literary contexts, such as 马厩 (stable) or 厩肥 (stable manure used as fertilizer). It is not common in daily speech, but appears in historical texts or when discussing traditional farming. The character reflects ancient Chinese agriculture, where stables were essential for horses and oxen.

Common words containing 厩 include: 马厩 (mǎ jiù) — Stable; 厩肥 (jiù féi) — stable manure; 厩舍 (jiù shě) — stable; barn.