How to Write 泺 (luò) — Meaning “Luo (name of a river in Shandong)”

Think of the left side as water (氵) and the right side as music (乐), and imagine a river where people play cheerful music along its banks. The sound "luò" can be linked to "Luo River," making it easier to recall the character's meaning. This visual of a musical river helps connect the parts to the place name.

Write the water radical 氵 first with three quick strokes: dot, dot, and a short diagonal lift. Then add 乐, ensuring the left side is narrow and the right side is wider to keep the character balanced. A common mistake is misplacing the strokes in 乐—remember the top is a left-falling stroke, followed by a horizontal fold hook.

泺 (luò) has the right part 乐, meaning "music," and is used only in place names like the Luo River. In contrast, 㳄 (xián) has the right part 欠 and means "saliva," while 汊 (chà) has 叉 and means a branch of a river. Visually, the right sides are completely different: 乐 vs 欠 vs 叉, so focus on those distinctive shapes.

泺 is almost exclusively found in historical and geographical names, especially in Shandong province, such as 泺口 (a district in Jinan) and 泺源 (the source of the Luo River). It is not part of the common vocabulary or HSK lists, so you will mostly encounter it when reading about local history or visiting Jinan. The Luo River itself has been incorporated into the Daming Lake scenic area, giving the character a cultural link to that region.

Common words containing 泺 include: 泺水 (luò shuǐ) — Luo River; 泺口 (luò kǒu) — Luokou (a place name in Jinan); 泺源 (luò yuán) — Luoyuan (source of the Luo River).