How to Write 洛 (luò) — Meaning “Luo (name of a river)”

Imagine each individual water droplet of the Luo River. Think of "each drop" (each = 各) of water (氵) flowing together to form the river. This visual link between the two parts helps you recall both the meaning and the shape.

Start with the three strokes of 氵 on the left: dot, dot, and a short lift. Then write the right part 各: first a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal stroke with a hook, followed by a right-falling stroke, a vertical stroke, a horizontal fold, and a final horizontal line. Keep the water radical narrow and the right side wider to maintain balance.

洛 has the right part 各 (each), while 㳄 has the right part 欠 (to owe or lack), and 汧 has the right part 开 (to open). Both 㳄 and 汧 are extremely rare ancient characters; 洛 is the only one still widely used today, mainly in place names like 洛阳 (Luoyang).

洛 most commonly appears in the city name 洛阳 (Luoyang), a historic capital in Henan province. It is also found in classical references like 洛神 (the Goddess of the Luo River) from a famous poem. Although not in the HSK vocabulary, 洛 is culturally significant for learners interested in Chinese history and geography.

Common words containing 洛 include: 洛阳 (luò yáng) — Luoyang (a city in China); 洛神 (luò shén) — Goddess of the Luo River; 洛河 (luò hé) — Luo River.