How to Write 涞 (lái) — Meaning “Lai (name of a river)”

Think of a river where water (氵) comes (来) flowing toward you — this visual helps you recall both the sound and meaning. You can also imagine the Lai River arriving, matching the idea of 'water coming'.

Pay attention to the stroke order of the right part 来: first write two horizontal strokes, then a vertical stroke through them, then another horizontal, and finally the left-falling and right-falling strokes with a dot. A common mistake is making the third horizontal too long or writing the water radical too wide — keep both parts balanced and compact.

涞 has the right part 来, while 沫 has 末 (mò, meaning end or tip) and 沭 has 术 (shù, meaning technique). Visually, 来 has three horizontal strokes (the top two and one below the vertical), but 末 has only two horizontals, and 术 has one horizontal with a vertical stroke through it. Their meanings also differ: 涞 is a river name, 沫 means foam, and 沭 is another river name.

涞 is used mainly in place names, such as 涞水 (Laishui, a county and river in Hebei Province) and 涞源 (Laiyuan, a county in Hebei). You will rarely see it in everyday conversation or writing — it is a specialized geographic character. Knowing it helps when reading maps or travel information about northern China.

Common words containing 涞 include: 涞水 (lái shuǐ) — Laishui (a river or place name); 涞源 (lái yuán) — Laiyuan (a place name); 涞阳 (lái yáng) — Laiyang (a place name).