How to Write 鲈 (lú) — Meaning “Perch”

Picture a perch fish (鲈) with a big letter 'L' on its side, because the right side 卢 looks like an 'L' with a horizontal line. Or imagine the sound 'lu' as a fisherman saying 'Loo, look at that perch!'

Write the left radical 鱼 first (8 strokes: 撇,横撇,竖,横折,横,竖,横,横). Then add the right side 卢 (5 strokes: 竖,横,撇,横,竖折). Be careful that the bottom of 鱼 is two horizontal lines, not four dots. The final stroke of 卢 is a vertical hook (竖折).

鲈 has left fish and right 卢 (a box with a horizontal line). 鱿 has left fish and right 尤 (a curve with a dot, meaning squid). 鲁 has fish on top and 日 (sun) below, meaning a surname or 'rude'. Focus on the right or bottom shape.

鲈 appears mostly in food contexts, especially in dishes like 清蒸鲈鱼 (steamed sea bass), a classic recipe in Cantonese and Jiangsu cuisine. It is also mentioned in ancient poems, so it carries a cultural association with fine dining and traditional Chinese gastronomy.

Common words containing 鲈 include: 鲈鱼 (lú yú) — Perch; 清蒸鲈鱼 (qīng zhēng lú yú) — Steamed sea bass.; 海鲈鱼 (hǎi lú yú) — Sea bass.