How to Write 黢 (qū) — Meaning “Black; dark (of skin or color)”

Imagine a person (夋 looks like a bent figure) who has been working under the sun all day, so their face is covered in black dust (the radical 黑 on the left). The image of a dark, hunched worker helps link the 'black' meaning with the sound 'qū.' Another trick: think of 'qū' as 'cue' — when it's pitch black, you need a cue to find your way.

Start with the left radical 黑: write the top part (田-like shape), then the vertical strokes, and finally the four small dots underneath — make sure the dots are evenly spaced and not too big. Then write the right side 夋: start with the top strokes (ㄥ and ㇈), then the bottom 夂-like part; common mistakes include mixing up 夋 with 允 (yǔn) or writing the dots of 黑 too large. The overall shape should be balanced: left side slightly wider, right side more compact.

Common words containing 黢 include: 黢黑 (qū hēi) — Pitch black; 黑黢黢 (hēi qū qū) — Pitch-black; 黢青 (qū qīng) — Dark blue-green.