How to Write 脑 (nǎo) — Meaning “brain”

Imagine the left radical 月 (flesh) as a slice of meat, and the right part looks like a brain with folds inside a skull (the box-like shape). The 月 reminds you it's a body part, and the complex right side suggests the brain's wrinkles.

Write the left radical 月 first: three strokes (vertical left-falling, horizontal hook, two horizontals). Then the right side: a dot on top, then a horizontal line, followed by a left-falling stroke, a dot, a horizontal stroke, and finally a vertical hook and a vertical line. Make sure the right part is not too wide; keep it balanced with the left radical.

朋 (péng) is two 月 radicals side by side, meaning 'friend', while 脑 has a more complex right side. 朊 (ruǎn) has 月 on the left and 元 (yuán) on the right, and it means 'soft' or is a rare term for protein. In 脑, the right side is not 元 but a different shape (匘).

脑 is very common in words like 电脑 (diàn nǎo, computer – literally 'electric brain'), 头脑 (tóu nǎo, mind), and 脑子 (nǎo zi, brain). Culturally, the character is used metaphorically for intelligence or mental capacity, and the term 电脑 is a great example of how Chinese creates modern technology words.

Common words containing 脑 include: 电脑 (diàn nǎo) — computer; 头脑 (tóu nǎo) — brain / mind; 脑子 (nǎo zi) — brain; mind.