How to Write 榫 (sǔn) — Meaning “Tenon”

Imagine a falcon (隼) landing on a wooden beam (木) and fitting its claws tightly into a groove. The bird's grip represents how a tenon locks into a mortise, helping you link the shape to the meaning of 'tenon'.

Write the left radical 木 first with a short horizontal stroke and a vertical line crossing it. The right side 隼 has a small horizontal stroke at the top, then a vertical line; be careful not to make it too wide, and keep the bottom strokes balanced to avoid tilting the character.

榫 contains 隼 (falcon) on the right and means 'tenon', a woodworking term. 棉 has 帛 (silk) on the right and means 'cotton'. 棋 has 其 (that) on the right and means 'chess'. Visually, 榫 is the only one with the bird-like top part 隼, while the others have different right-side components.

榫 appears mainly in woodworking and architecture, especially in the term 榫卯 (sǔn mǎo, mortise and tenon joint), a traditional Chinese joinery method. It is also used metaphorically to describe any tight, interlocking connection. Though not common in daily conversation, it is important in craft and cultural heritage contexts.

Common words containing 榫 include: 榫头 (sǔn tou) — Tenon; 榫卯 (sǔn mǎo) — Mortise and tenon; 榫眼 (sǔn yǎn) — Mortise.