How to Write 狨 (róng) — Meaning “marmoset”

Imagine a tiny marmoset wearing a little soldier's helmet, because the right side 戎 looks like a warrior or weapon element. The left radical 犭 reminds you it's an animal, so the whole picture is a "warrior monkey." This helps you connect the sound róng to the small, furry marmoset.

The left radical 犭 has three strokes: a left-falling line, a curved hook, and another left-falling line — make sure the hook is not too flat. The right side 戎 is 6 strokes; write the top horizontal first, then the falling stroke, then the middle horizontal, vertical, another falling stroke, and finally the dot. A common mistake is to forget the last dot on 戎 or to make the hook of 犭 too long.

狨 has the animal radical 犭 on the left and 戎 on the right, meaning "marmoset." 状 (zhuàng) uses the left radical 丬 (a piece of wood) and means "shape" or "state," while 犹 (yóu) has the same left radical 犭 but the right is 尤 (yóu) and means "still" or "like." Visually, 状 looks flat on top because of 丬, and 犹 lacks the 戎's inner dot and hook shape.

狨 appears mainly in scientific or zoological terms, such as 狨猴 (róng hóu, marmoset) and 金狨 (jīn róng, Golden snub-nosed monkey). It is not common in daily conversation because marmosets are not native to China, but you may encounter it in textbooks or animal documentaries. The character is also used in historical contexts for monkey fur (狨皮) but this usage is rare today.

Common words containing 狨 include: 狨猴 (róng hóu) — marmoset; 金狨 (jīn róng) — Golden snub-nosed monkey; 狨皮 (róng pí) — marmoset fur.