How to Write 芤 (kōu) — Meaning “Hollow (specifically referring to a pulse)”

Think of the word ‘cough’ (sounds like kōu) and imagine a hollow scallion stalk making a coughing sound when you blow through it. Alternatively, picture the top 艹 as grass and the bottom 孔 as a hole in the ground, suggesting something empty or hollow. This links the sound and shape to the meaning of hollow.

Write the top radical 艹 as three strokes: horizontal, vertical, vertical—making sure the two verticals are slightly slanted outward. The bottom part 孔 starts with the left side (子) and ends with a curved hook 乚; keep the whole character balanced with the grass on top covering about one-third of the height. A common mistake is making the bottom 孔 too wide, so keep it narrow to match the top.

芤 (kōu) has the component 孔 (hole) at the bottom, meaning hollow; 兹 (zī) has 玄 (dark/silk) below the grass radical and means ‘now’ or ‘grow,’ while 艻 (lè) has 力 (strength) below and refers to a type of grass. Visually, 芤’s bottom looks like a hole (孔), whereas 兹 has two curved lines and 艻 has a simple force radical.

芤 is almost exclusively used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as part of the term 芤脉 (kōu mài), which describes a hollow, empty-feeling pulse. It appears rarely in everyday language but is an important diagnostic term for TCM practitioners. The character also appears in the word 葱芤 (cōng kōu) to describe a hollow scallion stalk, though this is uncommon.

Common words containing 芤 include: 芤脉 (kōu mài) — Hollow pulse (a term in Traditional Chinese Medicine); 芤 (kōu) — Hollow (specifically referring to a pulse); 葱芤 (cōng kōu) — hollow like a scallion stalk.