How to Write 蒉 (kuì) — Meaning “straw basket”

Imagine a basket woven from very expensive grass, so valuable that you call it "expensive grass" — 艹 (grass) + 贵 (expensive). This visual trick links the meaning (straw basket) with its components. Another way: think of a basket so fine it must be made of costly straw.

Write the grass radical 艹 first (4 strokes: horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal), then the lower part 贵 (9 strokes). Ensure the grass radical is narrow and sits above the wider lower part. A common mistake is making the 贵 section too tall, throwing off the balance — keep its vertical strokes evenly spaced.

蒉 (straw basket) has 贵 below, while 荷 (lotus) has 何 below and 荸 (water chestnut) has 孛 below. Visually, 蒉's lower part has a 中-like shape with a horizontal line across, different from the 可 in 荷 or the 子 in 荸. In usage, 蒉 is very rare and ancient, while 荷 and 荸 are common plant names.

蒉 is not part of the HSK vocabulary and appears mostly in classical texts or historical descriptions of ancient tools. It refers to a straw basket used for carrying earth, grains, or other materials. Culturally, it reminds us of traditional farming tools in ancient China, though today the character is seldom used in daily conversation.

Common words containing 蒉 include: 蒉草 (kuì cǎo) — straw (used for weaving); 蒉席 (kuì xí) — straw mat; 蒉子 (kuì zi) — straw basket.