How to Write 埘 (shí) — Meaning “Henhouse; roost.”

Imagine a chicken coop made of earth (土) with a clock (时) on top, telling the chickens it is time to roost. This connects the radical meaning and the phonetic part in a funny picture.

Write the left radical 土 first (three strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the right part 时 (seven strokes starting with a vertical then horizontal fold). The left side should be slightly smaller and higher than the right side. A common mistake is confusing the right side with 時 (traditional), but use simplified 时.

Visually, 埘 has 时 on the right, 坡 has 皮 (leather/skin), and 坤 has 申 (extend/shen). In meaning, 埘 is a henhouse, 坡 means 'slope', and 坤 refers to the female principle or earth in Chinese philosophy. Pay attention to the right-side component.

埘 is not common in everyday modern Chinese and is not in the HSK list. It appears mainly in literary, agricultural, or classical contexts, such as 鸡埘 (chicken coop). Culturally, the character reflects ancient farming life where henhouses were simple earth structures. Today, people usually say 鸡笼 or 鸡舍 instead.

Common words containing 埘 include: 鸡埘 (jī shí) — Chicken coop; 鸟埘 (niǎo shí) — bird coop; roost; 栖埘 (qī shí) — To roost (for birds).