How to Write 鲆 (píng) — Meaning “Flatfish”

Think of a flat fish (鱼) lying on a flat surface (平). The right part 平 looks like a table with two small items on top, reminding you the fish is pressed flat. Just remember: fish + flat = flatfish.

The left radical 鱼 has 8 strokes, ending with a long horizontal line at the bottom. The right part 平 has 5 strokes: two dots on top, then a short horizontal, a vertical, and another long horizontal. A common mistake is forgetting the two dots above 平 or making the left radical too wide.

鲆 (píng) means flatfish, with the right part 平. 鱿 (yóu) means squid, with the right part 尤 (yóu). 鲁 (lǔ) is a different character meaning "rude" or the short form of Shandong province, and its top part is 日 (sun/day) instead of 平. Visually, 鲆 has a flat top while 鲁 has a square top.

鲆 appears mainly in seafood vocabulary, like 鲆鱼 (flatfish) and 牙鲆 (olive flounder). You often see it on restaurant menus for dishes such as 煎鲆鱼 (pan-fried flatfish). Because it is a specialized seafood term, it is not included in the standard HSK vocabulary lists.

Common words containing 鲆 include: 鲆鱼 (píng yú) — Flatfish/Flounder; 牙鲆 (yá píng) — olive flounder; 煎鲆鱼 (jiān píng yú) — pan-fried flatfish.