How to Write 菊 (jú) — Meaning “Chrysanthemum”

Imagine a chrysanthemum flower (艹) sitting inside a round vase (the bottom part 匊 looks like a container with a curved top and two inner sections). The vase holds many stems and petals, so the whole character means 'chrysanthemum'. This visual helps you recall both the grass radical and the lower vase-like shape.

Write the top grass radical 艹 first (horizontal, vertical, vertical). Then the left side of 匊: left-falling stroke, horizontal fold hook, horizontal, vertical. Finish with the right side: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, vertical, horizontal — 11 strokes total. A common mistake is making the grass radical too narrow; it should slightly cover the width of the lower part.

兹 (cí or zī) means 'now' or 'this' and has 艹 over 玄 (a different bottom part), while 苧 (zhù) means 'ramie' (a plant) and has 艹 over 宁. Visually, 菊's lower part 匊 has a distinct 'cage-like' shape with two inner boxes, unlike the simpler 玄 or 宁. Meaning-wise, 菊 specifically refers to the chrysanthemum flower.

菊 appears in words like 菊花 (chrysanthemum flower) and 菊花茶 (chrysanthemum tea), a popular herbal drink. In Chinese culture, the chrysanthemum symbolizes autumn, longevity, and nobility, and is often associated with the Double Ninth Festival. It is not a common HSK character, but it frequently appears in poetry and seasonal decorations.

Common words containing 菊 include: 菊花 (jú huā) — Chrysanthemum flower; 菊花茶 (jú huā chá) — Chrysanthemum tea; 雏菊 (chú jú) — Daisy.