How to Write 荼 (tú) — Meaning “Bitter herb or thistle”

Picture a field of bitter weeds (艹) that grows so much there is "extra" left over (余). Think of the top as green grass and the bottom as the word "extra" — the plant is so bitter that no one eats it, so it remains in surplus.

Write the grass radical first: one horizontal stroke then two vertical strokes. Below that, write 余 with a left-falling stroke, two short horizontals, a right-falling stroke, and a small hook. A common mistake is making the top part of 余 too wide — keep the horizontals short and centered under the grass.

Unlike 兹 (zī, meaning "this" or "now"), 荼 has the grass radical on top and 余 below, while 兹 has two 玄 (mystical) stacked. Compared to 苑 (yuàn, meaning "garden" or "park"), 荼 has 余 below instead of 夗 (yuàn). Always think of 荼 as specifically related to bitter plants.

荼 is rarely used alone today but appears in the idiom 如火如荼 (rú huǒ rú tú), meaning "like a raging fire," to describe something grand and flourishing. It also shows up in 荼蘼 (tú mí, blackberry rose) and historically referred to bitter tea (苦荼). Cultural note: 如火如荼 is often used for large events or movements, like a festival or revolution.

Common words containing 荼 include: 如火如荼 (rú huǒ rú tú) — like a raging fire; flourishing and magnificent; 荼蘼 (tú mí) — Blackberry rose; 苦荼 (kǔ tú) — Bitter tea (ancient name for tea).