How to Write 椪 (pèng) — Meaning “Ponkan (citrus)”

Picture a Ponkan orange so large you need two hands placed side by side to hold it—the right side 並 looks like two hands or two segments. The left side 木 reminds you it grows on a tree. So think: "Two hands (並) holding a tree-fruit (木)."

The left radical 木 has 4 strokes: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. The right part 並 has 8 strokes: start with two dots at the top, then a horizontal line, a vertical line, another horizontal, and a final bottom horizontal. A common mistake is writing the top of 並 as two separate dots not connected to the horizontal below—they should be part of a single stroke order.

柴 (chái, firewood) has 木 on top and 此 below, while 栓 (shuān, bolt) has 木 on left and 全 on right. 椪 has 木 on left and 並 on right, which is unique. Visually, 椪's right side has two parallel horizontals and two dots, whereas 柴 has a different bottom and 栓 has 全 (with a king-like component). Their meanings are also completely different: fruit vs. firewood vs. a plug.

椪 is most common in the word 椪柑 (pèng gān), meaning Ponkan (Chinese honey orange), a popular sweet citrus fruit. It also appears in 椪糖 (pèng táng), honeycomb toffee or Dalgona candy, and 椪饼 (pèng bǐng), a type of puffed pastry. You are likely to see it on food packaging, menus, or in regional product names in China and Taiwan.

Common words containing 椪 include: 椪柑 (pèng gān) — Ponkan (Chinese honey orange); 椪糖 (pèng táng) — Honeycomb toffee / Dalgona; 椪饼 (pèng bǐng) — Pon-piah (puffed pastry).