How to Write 芩 (qín) — Meaning “Scutellaria (skullcap plant)”

Imagine a patch of skullcap plants growing on a sign that says "NOW" (今). The grass on top reminds you it is a plant, and "now" tells you to use this herb today for medicine.

Write the grass radical 艹 first as three strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Then write 今 with four strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal hook? Actually 今 has 4 strokes: 撇, 捺, 横折, 竖. A common mistake is making the bottom part of 今 too wide or confusing it with 令.

芩 has the bottom component 今 (jīn), while 兹 has 玄 (xuán) below and 艻 has 力 (lì) below. Visually, 兹 looks more complex with extra strokes, and 艻 is simpler with just three strokes below the grass radical.

芩 is rarely used alone but appears in the common term 黄芩 (huáng qín), a medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine. You will see it on herb labels or in TCM prescriptions, where 黄芩 is valued for clearing heat and reducing inflammation.

Common words containing 芩 include: 黄芩 (huáng qín) — baical skullcap (a medicinal herb); 芩草 (qín cǎo) — Scutellaria grass; 芩子 (qín zi) — Seeds of scutellaria.