How to Write 廓 (kuò) — Meaning “outline”

Imagine a city wall (郭) drawn around a large building (广) — you are outlining the city. The image of drawing a boundary around a shelter helps you remember that 廓 means "outline." Visualize a dotted line tracing the wall's shape.

Start with the dot and left-falling stroke of 广, making sure the left-falling curve is smooth and not too steep. The right part 郭 has many horizontal strokes; keep them parallel and evenly spaced. A common mistake is making 广 too narrow, so balance the left and right halves.

廓 uses 郭 (outer wall) on the right, so it means "outline" or "clear up." 庳 has 卑 (low/humble) and means "low" or "short." 庵 has 奄 (cover) and means "small hut" or "nunnery." Visually, 廓 has the extra ear radical 阝in 郭, while the others have different right-side components.

廓 appears in common words like 轮廓 (lún kuò, outline/contour) used in art and design, and 廓清 (kuò qīng, to clear up) used when clarifying ideas. It is a formal character, not often spoken in daily conversation, but important for describing shapes and resolving confusion in written Chinese.

Common words containing 廓 include: 轮廓 (lún kuò) — Outline or contour; 廓清 (kuò qīng) — to clear up; 廓大 (kuò dà) — to expand.