How to Write 桷 (jué) — Meaning “Rafter or square beam”

Imagine a wooden beam (木) with a horn (角) sticking out from the side, like a rafter jutting out from a roof at an angle. This visual trick connects the two parts to the meaning of a rafter.

Write the left component 木 first, with its vertical stroke slightly longer. Then write the right side 角, being careful to keep the bottom part narrow — the final vertical stroke should not extend below the 木's bottom. A common mistake is making the 角 too wide, which throws off the balance.

枯 (kū, dry) has 古 (old) on the right, while 枰 (píng, chessboard) has 平 (flat). 桷 has 角 (horn) on the right. Visually, 桷's right side looks like a horn or angle, whereas 枯's right side is a plus-like shape and 枰's right side is flat. In meaning, only 桷 relates to wooden building parts.

桷 is very rare in everyday speech and mainly appears in classical architecture terms like 榱桷 (rafters) or literary texts. You might encounter it in descriptions of traditional Chinese wooden buildings. It is not in the HSK list, so learners will only see it in specialized or historical contexts.

Common words containing 桷 include: 桷木 (jué mù) — Rafter wood; 榱桷 (cuī jué) — Rafters; 桷子 (jué zi) — Rafter.