How to Write 柔 (róu) — Meaning “Soft, flexible, or gentle.”

Imagine a wooden spear that is so flexible it bends like a bow—this soft wood is 柔. The picture of a weapon made weak helps you recall the meaning 'soft, flexible'.

Write the top 矛 first, keeping it narrow with a clear hook at the bottom stroke. Then add the 木 below, making sure the horizontal stroke of 木 stretches slightly wider than the 矛 above. A common mistake is making the 矛 too wide, which unbalances the character.

The key difference is the top part: 柔 has 矛 (spear), while 杆 has 干 (dry/trunk) and 杈 has 叉 (fork). In meaning, 柔 is about softness and gentleness, whereas 杆 refers to a hard stick or pole, and 杈 means a tree fork or branch.

You see 柔 in common words like 柔软 (soft texture), 温柔 (a gentle personality), and 柔和 (soft light or sound). Culturally, 柔 represents a valued quality of yielding strength, similar to water in Daoist philosophy, and is often paired with 刚 (hardness) in contrast.

Common words containing 柔 include: 柔软 (róu ruǎn) — soft; 温柔 (wēn róu) — Gentle and tender; 柔和 (róu hé) — Soft, gentle, or mild..