How to Write 矩 (jǔ) — Meaning “Carpenter's square; rule; pattern.”

Picture a giant bow (矢) shaped like a builder's square, with the word "giant" (巨) reminding you that this tool is used for big construction projects. The arrow component helps you remember that it measures straight lines.

Write the left part 矢 first with four strokes, then the right part 巨 with five strokes. Make sure the last stroke of 巨 (a horizontal line) extends past the left side of the upper part to keep the shape balanced. A common mistake is making the right side too narrow.

矩 has 矢 on the left and 巨 on the right, meaning a carpenter's square. 矣 (yǐ) also has 矢 on the left but uses 以 on the right, and it is a classical Chinese particle meaning 'already'. 知 (zhī) has 矢 on the left and 口 on the right, meaning 'to know' or 'knowledge'.

矩 appears in common words like 规矩 (guījǔ) meaning 'rule' or 'well-behaved', 矩阵 (jǔzhèn) meaning 'matrix' in mathematics, and 矩形 (jǔxíng) meaning 'rectangle'. Culturally, the phrase 没有规矩不成方圆 (without rules, nothing can be done properly) highlights the importance of rules and standards in Chinese society.

Common words containing 矩 include: 规矩 (guī jǔ) — Rule; custom; well-behaved; 矩阵 (jǔ zhèn) — Matrix.; 矩形 (jǔ xíng) — Rectangle..