How to Write 磲 (qú) — Meaning “giant clam”

Imagine a giant clam (磲) sitting in a ditch (渠) made of stone (石). The clam's shell is as hard as rock, and the sound "choo" helps you recall the pinyin qú. Picture a clam near a stone canal to link all parts together.

Write the left radical 石 first (3 strokes), then the right part 渠 (13 strokes). The right side 渠 starts with 氵 (water radical) then 巨, then 木. A common mistake is forgetting the dot in 氵 or mixing up the order of 巨 and 木. Keep the right part compact so the character stays balanced.

磲 (giant clam) uses the radical 石 (stone) and is pronounced qú. 碟 (dié, small plate/dish) uses the radical 皿 (dish) and is visually similar but has a different meaning and pronunciation. 碡 (zhóu, millstone) also has 石 but is pronounced differently and refers to a grinding stone, not a living creature.

磲 is rarely used alone; it appears mainly in the word 砗磲 (chēqú), which refers to giant clams or their shells used as ornamental objects. In Buddhist culture, 砗磲 is considered one of the seven treasures and is used for prayer beads and carvings, giving the character a spiritual significance.

Common words containing 磲 include: 砗磲 (chē qú) — Giant clam; 磲贝 (qú bèi) — giant clam; 磲碗 (qú wǎn) — giant clam shell bowl.