How to Write 昆 (kūn) — Meaning “Elder brother; descendants.”

Imagine the sun (日) shining on two brothers (比) playing together. You can think of 'Kun' as "Kin" — brothers are your kin, and the sun keeps them warm. This visual helps you remember the character's shape and meaning.

Write the top 日 narrow, not too wide, because the bottom 比 needs space. The bottom part has two similar left and right halves (匕 匕) — make sure they are balanced and not too close together. A common mistake is writing the right 匕 too big, so keep both sides even.

昆 has two 匕 (compare) under 日, while 旨 (zhǐ) has only one 匕 under 日, and 早 (zǎo) has a 十 under 日. For meaning, 昆 is about brother/insect, 旨 is about purpose or delicious taste, and 早 means early. Visually, count the bottom strokes — 昆 has more strokes than 旨 or 早.

昆 appears in common words like 昆虫 (kūn chóng, insect) and 昆明 (Kūn míng, the city). It is also part of 昆曲 (Kūn qǔ), a famous traditional Chinese opera from Kunshan. The character alone is not often used in daily speech, but you will see it in names and these compounds.

Common words containing 昆 include: 昆虫 (kūn chóng) — insect; 昆明 (kūn míng) — Kunming (a city in China).; 昆曲 (kūn qǔ) — Kunqu opera.