How to Write 区 (ōu/qū) — Meaning “area; region; district”

Imagine a square box (匸) marking the border of a region, with an 'X' inside it to show that 'X marks the spot' in that area. This visual helps you recall that 区 means 'area' or 'region'.

The stroke order is: first the top horizontal line, then the left vertical and bottom horizontal as one stroke (竖折), and finally the two strokes of the inner 'X' (left-falling then right-falling). A common mistake is making the outer box too small or writing the inner cross before the box.

The radical 匸 is just the outer box and is rarely used alone; 区 adds an 'X' inside. Meanwhile, 匹 has a '儿' (like two legs) inside instead of an 'X', and it means 'bolt of cloth' or 'match', not 'area'. Visually, focus on what is inside the enclosure.

区 appears in common words like 地区 (region) and 区别 (difference), and is also a surname 区 (Ōu) popular in Cantonese-speaking areas. You will see it on maps for districts (e.g., 自治区 for autonomous region) and in everyday vocabulary about locations.

Common words containing 区 include: 地区 (dì qū) — Region; area; 区别 (qū bié) — difference; to distinguish; 姓区 (xìng qū) — Surnamed Ou..