How to Write 龋 (qǔ) — Meaning “caries; tooth decay”

Imagine a tooth (齿) with a small mountain-like hole in it, like the shape of the character 禹 on the right. This mountain represents a cavity forming inside the tooth. Visualizing a tooth with a hollow spot helps you recall the meaning of decay.

Pay attention to the balance between the left radical 齿 and the right part 禹 — the right side should be slightly narrower than the left. A common mistake is making the right part too wide or forgetting the small horizontal stroke inside the upper part of 禹. Write the 齿 radical first, then the 禹 component with clear, even strokes.

龋 and 龉 both use the 齿 radical, but 龋 has 禹 on the right while 龉 has 吾 on the right. 冁 is very different — it uses the 巾 radical and means to smile, so it has no connection to teeth at all. Visually, 龋's right side (禹) has a small vertical stroke inside a box, while 龉's right side (吾) has a clear 五 above a 口.

龋 is almost exclusively used in dental and medical contexts, such as in the words 龋齿 (cavity) and 防龋 (cavity prevention). You might see it on dental clinic signs or in health articles about oral care. It is not a common daily character, but it is important for describing tooth decay.

Common words containing 龋 include: 龋齿 (qǔ chǐ) — dental caries; tooth decay; cavity; 龋洞 (qǔ dòng) — cavity; dental caries; 防龋 (fáng qǔ) — Cavity prevention or anti-caries..