How to Write 嵞 (tú) — Meaning “Tu (mountain name)”

Picture a mountain (山) with an extra 'Tú' sign on it, where 'Tú' sounds like the first part of 'tú shān'. The bottom part 余 looks like a person carrying extra baggage, reminding you that 嵞 is a unique mountain name, not a common word. This image helps you associate the character with its meaning 'Tu Mountain'.

One common mistake is making the top 山 too wide, which disturbs the balance with the bottom 余. The 山 should be compact, covering about one-third of the character, while the 余 below should be slightly narrower and centered. Pay attention to the stroke order: write the central vertical stroke of 山 first, then the left and right strokes, then continue with the 余 part.

嵞 differs from 崆 (kōng) in that its bottom part is 余, while 崆 has 空 (kōng) meaning 'empty'. Compared to 崇 (chóng, meaning 'high'), which has 宗 (zōng) at the bottom, 嵞 uses 余. Visually, 嵞 has a more balanced rectangular look, whereas 崆 is taller and 崇 has a broader base. Also, 嵞 is only used as a proper mountain name, while 崆 and 崇 are more common words.

嵞 is rarely used in modern Chinese, appearing almost exclusively in the place name 嵞山 (Tú Shān), an ancient mountain in present-day Anhui province. This mountain is famous in Chinese mythology as the site where Yu the Great met his wife, making it a cultural symbol in classical texts. You will not encounter 嵞 in daily conversation, only in historical or literary references.

Common words containing 嵞 include: 嵞山 (tú shān) — Tu Mountain; 嵞岭 (tú lǐng) — Tu Ridge; 嵞岫 (tú xiù) — Tu Mountain peak.