How to Write 矻 (kū) — Meaning “to toil; to work hard”

Imagine a hardworking person carrying a heavy stone (石) while begging (乞) for more work — this shows the idea of continuous toil. The picture of a stone and a begging figure together can help you connect the character to its meaning of working hard.

Write the left radical 石 with a compact shape — start with a short horizontal stroke, then a left-falling stroke, two vertical strokes, and finally a horizontal for the bottom. The right part 乞 must end with a curved hook (like a bent stroke) — do not make it straight like in 干. Keep the whole character balanced, with 石 taking about half the width.

矻 has the right side 乞 (beg), while 矶 has 几 (small table) and 矸 has 干 (dry). Visually, 乞 ends with a hook shape, 几 is simple curved lines, and 干 is a straight vertical line. Meanings are also different: 矻 means to toil, 矶 means rock or jetty, and 矸 means rock debris.

矻 is almost never used alone; it appears in the reduplicated form 矻矻 (kū kū), meaning industrious or hardworking. You might find it in literary expressions like 矻矻穷年 (working hard all year long), but it is not common in everyday speech. It is a classical character that adds a formal or earnest tone when describing diligence.

Common words containing 矻 include: 矻矻 (kū kū) — industrious; hardworking; 矻蹬 (kū dēng) — thumping or clattering sound; 矻扎 (kū zhā) — cracking or snapping sound.