How to Write 鞣 (róu) — Meaning “To tan (leather)”

Imagine a leather worker using a soft (柔) cloth to rub chemicals into animal hide (革). The character combines 'leather' and 'soft' to remind you that tanning turns stiff hides into soft leather.

Pay attention to the left side 革: write the horizontal strokes first, then the vertical stroke through them. The right side 柔 has a 矛 (spear) component on top; do not confuse the top strokes with a different radical like 予. Keep the overall balance, with the left side slightly taller than the right.

鞣 specifically means to tan leather, while 鞔 (mán) refers to stretching leather over a frame (like a drumhead). 鞘 (qiào) means a sheath or scabbard. Visually, 鞣 uses 柔 on the right, 鞔 uses 免 (to avoid), and 鞘 uses 肖 (resemblance) — so focus on the right-side component to distinguish them.

Most commonly, 鞣 appears in technical or industrial terms like 鞣制 (tanning) and 鞣酸 (tannic acid, a chemical used in tanning). It is not used in daily conversation but is important in leather-making and chemistry contexts. Historically, traditional Chinese leather tanning used plant tannins from oak galls or tea.

Common words containing 鞣 include: 鞣制 (róu zhì) — Tanning; 鞣酸 (róu suān) — Tannic acid; 鞣皮 (róu pí) — To tan hides.