How to Write 氆 (pǔ) — Meaning “pulu (Tibetan wool)”

Imagine a piece of common (普) wool (毛) fabric from Tibet, called pulu. The right side 普 can be remembered as "common" because pulu is a common material in that region. This links the meaning of wool with the sound pǔ.

Write the radical 毛 first with its four strokes, then the right side 普 with twelve strokes. Be careful to keep the left side narrow and the right side wider so the character stays balanced. A common mistake is making the top of 普 too wide, so ensure the strokes stay compact.

氆 (pǔ) is part of 氆氇, meaning Tibetan wool fabric, while 氇 (lu) is the second character in that word and looks different (路 instead of 普). 氅 (chǎng) has a different right side (敞) and means a type of cloak or coat, not wool fabric. Visually, 氆 uses 普, 氇 uses 路, and 氅 uses 敞.

氆 is almost only used in the word 氆氇 (pǔ lu), which refers to a traditional Tibetan woolen fabric called pulu. It also appears in terms like 织氆 (weave pulu) and 氆氇衫 (pulu shirt). This character is not in common daily vocabulary but is important in discussions of Tibetan crafts and textiles.

Common words containing 氆 include: 氆氇 (pǔ lu) — Pulu (traditional Tibetan woollen fabric); 织氆 (zhī pǔ) — To weave pulu (Tibetan wool fabric); 氆氇衫 (pǔ lu shān) — Pulu shirt / garment.