How to Write 骝 (liú) — Meaning “Bay horse (reddish-brown)”

Imagine a bay horse (马) that decides to "stay" (留) in a sunny field because its reddish-brown coat blends with the autumn leaves. The visual of the horse resting helps you link the horse radical to the "stay" component. This mnemonic ties the color and the character together.

Write the left radical 马 narrowly and with three strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, then horizontal. The right part 留 has ten strokes; be careful to write its upper section (卯) with clear strokes and the lower 田 evenly spaced. A common mistake is making the 马 too wide, which disrupts the character's balance.

骝 has the right component 留 and means a bay horse, while 骐 uses 其 and refers to a black horse. 骑 uses 奇 and is a verb meaning "to ride." Visually, the right parts are distinct, and their meanings are different: 骝 and 骐 are horse colors, 骑 is an action.

骝 is rarely used alone in daily conversation; it appears mostly in classical literature, poetry, or idioms like 骅骝 (huá liú, a fine steed). In modern times, it may be found in historical texts or as part of a person's name. It carries a classical, elegant tone when referring to a reddish-brown horse.

Common words containing 骝 include: 骅骝 (huá liú) — Fine steed (Hualiu); 骝马 (liú mǎ) — Bay horse; 紫骝 (zǐ liú) — bay horse (with black mane and tail).