How to Write 犒 (kào) — Meaning “to reward with food or drink”

Imagine a tall (高) cow (牛) holding a plate of delicious food, rewarding a tired worker. The "high cow" is giving out treats — so 犒 means "to reward with a treat." This connects the left side (cow = food) and the right side (high = tall) to the meaning.

The left radical 牛 changes its last stroke to a diagonal upward flick (third stroke) when used as a component. The right part 高 has a narrow top and a wider bottom; be careful not to make the mouth 口 too big. A common mistake is writing the left radical with a straight vertical stroke instead of the flick, or forgetting the small "mouth" inside 高.

犒 (kào) means "to reward with food" and uses the cow radical with 高. 犂 (lí) means "plow" and combines 牛 with 利 (sharp or profit); it refers to farming tools. 犄 (jī) means "horn" or "corner" and combines 牛 with 奇 (strange); it describes an animal's horn or a protruding angle. The meanings and phonetic components are all distinct.

犒 appears in words like 犒劳 (kào láo) and 犒赏 (kào shǎng), both meaning to reward someone for their effort, often with food, drink, or gifts. In Chinese culture, it is common for leaders to "犒劳" employees or soldiers after hard work, such as a team dinner after a project. It carries a warm, appreciative tone and is not used in casual everyday talk.

Common words containing 犒 include: 犒劳 (kào láo) — to reward with a treat; to reward for service; 犒赏 (kào shǎng) — to reward (usually soldiers or workers).