How to Write 陋 (lòu) — Meaning “crude / humble / ugly”

Imagine a low hill (阝) with a small, rough box (匚) hidden inside (内) — this is a humble and crude place. The sound "lòu" is like "low," which links to its meaning of something simple or ugly.

The left radical 阝 should be narrow and written with a curved horizontal line followed by a vertical stroke. The right part must have the box (匚) open at the bottom, and the 内 inside should be centered and not touch the box edges. A common mistake is making the box too wide or writing 内 with extra strokes.

All three share the left ear radical 阝, but their right sides differ: 邠 has 分, 邡 has 方, and 陋 has a box with 内. Meaning-wise, 邠 and 邡 are rare place names, while 陋 is a common adjective meaning crude, humble, or ugly in everyday Chinese.

陋 appears in words like 简陋 (simple and crude), 丑陋 (ugly), and 陋习 (bad habit). It has a negative tone and is used to criticize poor quality or appearance. Culturally, the Tang dynasty essay "陋室铭" (Inscription of the Humble Room) by Liu Yuxi celebrates a simple life, making 陋 a symbol of modest living.

Common words containing 陋 include: 简陋 (jiǎn lòu) — simple and crude / humble; 丑陋 (chǒu lòu) — ugly; hideous; 陋习 (lòu xí) — bad habit / corrupt custom.