How to Write 耦 (ǒu) — Meaning “A pair; to couple; to plow in pairs”

Visualize two farmers sharing one plow (耒) — the right side 禺 looks like a person with outstretched arms, as if working side by side. You can also remember the pinyin "ǒu" sounds like "oh, a pair!" to link the sound and meaning together.

Pay attention to the left radical 耒: its first two strokes are horizontal lines, then a vertical stroke, and finally a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke (not a hook). The right part 禺 has 9 strokes, with the bottom enclosure carefully closed; a common mistake is making the 禺 section too narrow or forgetting the inner vertical stroke.

耦 focuses on pairing or coupling, while 耢 (lào) is a farming tool used to smooth soil (radical 耒 + 劳), and 耤 (jí) refers to ancient imperial plowing ceremonies or borrowing. Visually, 耦 has 禺 inside, 耢 has 劳, and 耤 has 昔 — each has a different right-side component that changes the meaning.

耦 appears mainly in technical terms like 耦合 (ǒu hé, coupling in physics or engineering) and rarely in daily speech. Historically, 耦耕 describes an ancient farming method where two people plowed together, symbolizing cooperation. Though not common today, it remains an important character in technical and historical contexts.

Common words containing 耦 include: 耦合 (ǒu hé) — Coupling (physics/engineering); 配耦 (pèi ǒu) — To mate / To pair; 耦耕 (ǒu gēng) — Plowing in pairs (ancient farming method).