How to Write 皤 (pó) — Meaning “White-haired; big-bellied”

Picture an old man with a shiny white head (the left part 白) and a huge round belly that looks like a turnip (the right part 番, which resembles a fat vegetable). Say his name is 'Old Pó'—white hair on top, potbelly below. This image connects both meanings.

Be careful with the right side 番: its top is 采 (爫 + 木), not 釆 (a similar but different component). The radical 白 should be narrow, and 番 wider to keep good balance. Also, 番 has many strokes, so write slowly and keep the bottom 田 centered.

Both share the radical 白, but 皤 has 番 on the right, while 皦 has 敫 (jiǎo) on the right. 皤 means 'white-haired' or 'big-bellied,' often describing old age, whereas 皦 means 'bright white' or 'shining,' like a clean white stone. They look different and are used in separate classical contexts.

皤 is very rare in daily conversation; you mainly find it in classical Chinese poetry or old texts describing an old person's white hair (皤然) or a big belly (皤腹). Culturally, white hair symbolizes wisdom and age in China, and a potbelly can represent contentment, like the laughing Buddha. It is not used in modern HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 皤 include: 皤皤 (pó pó) — White-haired; 皤然 (pó rán) — White-haired appearance; 皤腹 (pó fù) — Big belly; potbelly.