How to Write 虬 (qiú) — Meaning “Coiled dragon”

Imagine a dragon (虫) with its body twisted into a tight coil, like a spring. The right side 丩 looks like a curled tail or a knot, reinforcing the idea of coiling.

Pay attention to stroke order: first write the left radical 虫 (6 strokes), then a single vertical hook stroke on the right (7th stroke) that curves left. Common mistakes include adding an extra stroke to the right side — remember it is just one hook.

虫 (chóng) is just the radical meaning 'insect' and has no extra component. 虮 (jǐ) means 'louse eggs' and has a different right side (几, table shape). In contrast, 虬 always refers to a coiled dragon, twisted branches, or curly beards.

虬 is mostly found in classical or literary language, such as in the word 虬龙 (hornless dragon) or 虬枝 (gnarled branches). It appears in poetry and descriptions of ancient art, but is rarely used in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 虬 include: 虬龙 (qiú lóng) — Hornless dragon; 虬枝 (qiú zhī) — Gnarled branch; 虬髯 (qiú rán) — Curly beard.