How to Write 桶 (tǒng) — Meaning “Bucket or barrel”

Picture a wooden bucket (木) with a handle shaped like the letter 'Y' — the right part 甬 looks like a bucket with a handle and a base. The top strokes are the opening, and the vertical lines inside represent the bucket's depth.

Write the left radical 木 narrow, with the horizontal stroke tilted slightly up for balance. The right part 甬 has a left-falling stroke first, then a horizontal, two vertical lines inside, and a bottom horizontal — do not make it too tall. A common mistake is mixing up the inner strokes of 甬 with those of 用.

桶 (bucket) has the wood radical plus 甬, while 枯 (withered) uses 古 (old) meaning dry wood, and 枰 (chessboard) uses 平 (flat). Visually, 桶's right side has more strokes and a distinct inner structure. In usage, 桶 is for containers, 枯 for plants, and 枰 for game boards.

桶 appears in everyday words like 水桶 (water bucket), 垃圾桶 (trash can), and 马桶 (toilet). 马桶 specifically refers to a flush toilet, a term that comes from historical wooden commodes. This character is practical for naming various cylindrical containers in daily life.

Common words containing 桶 include: 水桶 (shuǐ tǒng) — Bucket; 垃圾桶 (lā jī tǒng) — trash can; garbage bin; 马桶 (mǎ tǒng) — Toilet.