How to Write 杩 (mà) — Meaning “bedstead; support frame”

Imagine a wooden frame (木) strong enough to support a horse (马). This mental image links the character's form to its meaning as a support frame or bedstead.

Write the left radical 木 first with its vertical stroke slightly longer, then write 马 on the right. A common mistake is making the 木's horizontal stroke too low, which makes the character unbalanced. Also ensure the 马 is not too wide.

Unlike 未 (wèi, not yet) and 末 (mò, end), which are single-component characters, 杩 is a left-right compound with a clear wood radical. Visually, 未 and 末 have a long horizontal line through the top, while 杩 has a separate 木 and 马 side by side.

杩 is a rare character not found in HSK vocabulary. It appears mostly in technical terms for wooden supports, such as 杩杈 (wooden fork) in farming or 杩头 (beam end) in construction. You will likely encounter it in traditional tool descriptions rather than everyday speech.

Common words containing 杩 include: 杩杈 (mà chā) — wooden fork or support; 杩头 (mà tóu) — end of a beam; 杩子 (mà zi) — wooden frame or support.