How to Write 蒲 (pú) — Meaning “Bulrush or cattail”

Imagine a dandelion (蒲公英) growing by a riverbank — the grass radical on top is the plant, and the bottom 浦 looks like water spreading over the land. Picture a fluffy dandelion seed floating above a river to link the character to its meaning.

Write the grass radical 艹 as two horizontal dashes first, then the vertical stroke. The bottom part 浦 starts with a dot on the left, then three dots for water, and on the right, 用 has a vertical stroke that should be straight. A common mistake is making the right side too wide — keep it balanced.

蒲 includes 浦 inside, which hints at a water plant (bulrush), while 莿 has 刺 (thorn) and means a thorny plant. 菀 has 宛 (bend) and refers to a drooping plant or a type of wormwood. Notice 蒲’s right side 用 compared to 莿’s 刺 or 菀’s 宛.

蒲 appears in names of plants like 蒲公英 (dandelion) and 菖蒲 (sweet flag, used in festivals). It also refers to a traditional fan made from cattail leaves, called 蒲扇, which is still used in summer in some rural areas. The character is not in HSK, but you will see it in botanical or cultural contexts.

Common words containing 蒲 include: 蒲公英 (pú gōng yīng) — Dandelion; 蒲扇 (pú shàn) — Cattail leaf fan; 菖蒲 (chāng pú) — sweet flag; calamus.