How to Write 桊 (juàn) — Meaning “nose ring (for cattle)”

Imagine a wooden (木) scroll (卷) that is curled into a ring and placed through a cow's nose. The scroll shape reminds you that the ring is a curved, rolled piece of wood.

Start with the left part 木 in the usual order (horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling), then write the right part 卷. The right side has many horizontal strokes; be careful to keep them parallel and not too crowded, and make sure the final hook is clear.

桊 means 'nose ring for cattle' and contains 木 plus 卷. 杪 means 'treetop' and uses 木 with 少 (small). 杭 is used in place names and means 'to travel', with 木 and 亢 (high or neck). Visually, 桊 has a more complex right side with multiple stacked horizontal lines, while 杪 has a simpler right side with fewer strokes.

桊 is very rare and appears only in farming contexts, such as in the words 桊子 or 牛桊, referring to a nose ring for cattle. It is not used in everyday conversation or in HSK vocabulary, so you will only encounter it in agricultural literature or historical texts.

Common words containing 桊 include: 桊子 (juàn zi) — nose ring (for cattle); 牛桊 (niú juàn) — nose ring for cattle; 鼻桊 (bí juàn) — Nose ring for cattle.