How to Write 卵 (luǎn) — Meaning “egg; ovum; spawn”

Imagine two tiny eggs sitting side by side in a nest — each part of 卵 looks like an egg with a little tail. The symmetry of the two halves helps you remember that 卵 means 'egg' or 'ovum'.

Pay attention to the stroke order: first write the left side (丿, ㇆, 丶), then the right side (丿, ㇆, 丶). A common mistake is making the two halves uneven in size or slanting them incorrectly; keep them balanced and upright.

卵 has two mirrored '卩' components and means 'egg', while 卮 (zhī) is an ancient wine vessel and looks like a cup with a lid. 卯 (mǎo) is a time symbol (the fourth Earthly Branch) and has a different top stroke — it looks like an open mouth rather than paired eggs.

卵 appears in biological terms like 卵生 (oviparous) for egg-laying animals and 鱼卵 (fish roe) in cooking. It is also used in medicine for 卵子 (ovum/egg cell). Culturally, eggs symbolize fertility and new life, so the character carries positive connotations in Chinese.

Common words containing 卵 include: 卵生 (luǎn shēng) — oviparous; egg-laying; 鱼卵 (yú luǎn) — Fish eggs (roe); 卵子 (luǎn zi) — ovum; egg cell.