How to Write 框 (kuàng) — Meaning “frame; case”

Picture a wooden square frame (木) holding a picture. Think of the right part 匡 as a box shape that 'contains' something, just like a frame contains a photo or a door.

Write the left radical 木 first: horizontal line, vertical line, left stroke, then the right dot. Then write the right part 匡: start with the horizontal top line, then the left vertical, then the inner part (王 without the bottom horizontal), and finally the bottom horizontal. Keep both sides balanced and not too wide.

框 means 'frame' and uses 匡 on the right. 杪 (miǎo) means 'tip of a branch' and has 少 (few/small) on the right, relating to small twigs. 杭 (háng) is a place name (like Hangzhou) and has 亢 (kàng, meaning high) on the right. The left radical of all three is 木, so focus on the right sides to tell them apart.

框 is commonly used in words like 门框 (door frame) and 镜框 (picture frame or spectacle frame). In Chinese culture, frames are important in traditional architecture and calligraphy display, where scrolls or artworks are often mounted in wooden frames.

Common words containing 框 include: 门框 (mén kuàng) — Door frame; 镜框 (jìng kuàng) — picture frame or spectacle frame.