How to Write 芎 (qiōng) — Meaning “Chuanxiong (a medicinal herb)”

Imagine a bow (弓) lying in a patch of grass (艹) — this plant is the medicinal herb Chuanxiong, whose root is often curved like a bow. The image of a grassy bow helps associate the character with its herbal meaning.

Write the grass radical 艹 first with horizontal stroke followed by two vertical strokes. Then write 弓 below it: start with the horizontal fold, then the vertical hook, and finally the curved stroke — make sure the 弓 is centered under the grass radical and not too wide.

芎 (qiōng) has 弓 (bow) under grass, meaning a medicinal herb. 艺 (yì) has 乙 (second stem) under grass, meaning art or skill. 艻 (lè) has 力 (power) under grass, but it is rare and often a variant of 芎 — focus on the bottom radical: bow vs. second vs. power.

芎 appears almost exclusively in the word 川芎 (chuān qiōng), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine herb from Sichuan region. It is used in herbal formulas for headaches and blood circulation, so you will encounter it in TCM contexts or pharmacy settings.

Common words containing 芎 include: 川芎 (chuān qiōng) — Chuanxiong (Szechuan lovage root); 芎䓖 (qiōng qióng) — Chuanxiong (Ligusticum wallichii); 抚芎 (fǔ qiōng) — Chuanxiong (a type of medicinal herb).