How to Write 酴 (tú) — Meaning “yeast or leaven”

Picture a wine bottle (酉) with leftover grains (余) inside it, and imagine those grains turning into yeast. This visual of "leftover grains in a wine bottle" helps link the character to its meaning of leaven or yeast.

Pay attention to the right side 余: start with the 人 component (two strokes like a roof), then write two horizontal lines, followed by a vertical hook and two small dots below. A common mistake is making the bottom of 余 too wide—keep it compact to balance the wider 酉 on the left.

酴 (tú) means yeast and has 余 on the right, while 酡 (tuó) means flushed from drinking and uses 它, and 酢 (cù) means vinegar and uses 乍. Visually the right-side parts are distinct, and each character has a different meaning related to wine or fermentation.

酴 is very rare in daily language and mostly appears in classical texts or poetry. For example, 酴醿 (tú mí) is a climbing rose often mentioned in ancient poems for its beauty and fragrance, and 酴酒 (tú jiǔ) refers to herb-infused wine drunk during festivals.

Common words containing 酴 include: 酴醿 (tú mí) — climbing rose (Rubus rosifolius); 酴酒 (tú jiǔ) — herb-infused wine; 酴醾 (tú mí) — climbing rose (Rubus rosifolius).