How to Write 穗 (suì) — Meaning “Ear of grain; tassel”

Picture a grain plant (禾) that has a special tassel shaped like a heart (the bottom of 惠 contains 心, meaning heart). This heart-shaped tassel is a "gift" (惠 can also mean kindness or favor) from the plant to farmers. This image helps link the grain radical to the idea of a decorative or fruitful ear.

The left radical 禾 should be written narrow, with the right side 惠 taking up about two-thirds of the character. A common mistake is writing the right side incorrectly: the top part is 叀 (horizontal, then 口, then a vertical hook), followed by the bottom component 心 (heart) with its own three strokes. Practice the 17 total strokes slowly to keep proportions balanced.

穗 (suì) means an ear of grain or tassel, while 稷 (jì) refers specifically to millet or the god of grain, and 稹 (zhěn) means dense or thick (like closely growing grain). Visually, 穗 has 惠 on the right, 稷 has 畟, and 稹 has 真. The meanings are distinct: 穗 is about the "fruit" part, 稷 is a grain type, and 稹 describes density.

穗 appears in words like 麦穗 (wheat ear) and 稻穗 (rice ear), and also in 穗子 (tassel) for decorative cords. Culturally, Guangzhou is nicknamed 穗城 (City of Ears of Grain) because of the legend of five goats bringing grain ears. Thus, 穗 symbolizes harvest and abundance in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 穗 include: 麦穗 (mài suì) — Ear of wheat; 稻穗 (dào suì) — ear of rice; rice spike; 穗子 (suì zi) — Ear of grain; tassel.