How to Write 芦 (lú) — Meaning “Reed”

Picture a reed plant growing right next to a house door (户). The grass on top (艹) represents the plant, and the door below reminds you that reeds were often used to make simple doors in old Chinese villages.

Write the top 艹 first: horizontal, vertical, vertical. Then write 户: dot, horizontal, left-falling stroke (丿), and dot. A common mistake is making the left-falling stroke too long or forgetting the final dot inside 户.

芦 has 艹 on top and 户 below, meaning "reed." 兹 has a different bottom part (玄) and means "this" or "now," while 艻 (lè) is rare and usually refers to a type of grass, but its bottom is 力 (strength), not 户.

芦 appears in common words like 芦苇 (lú wěi, reed plant) and 芦荟 (lú huì, aloe vera). It is also part of 葫芦 (hú lú, gourd), a cultural symbol for good luck in Chinese folklore, often used in decorations or as a container.

Common words containing 芦 include: 芦荟 (lú huì) — Aloe vera; 葫芦 (hú lú) — gourd / calabash; 芦苇 (lú wěi) — Reed.