How to Write 堍 (tù) — Meaning “approach to a bridge”

Picture a rabbit (兔) sitting on a pile of earth (土) right where a bridge meets the road. The rabbit is waiting at the bridge approach, so the character 堍 reminds you of that spot. This visual connects the earth, the rabbit, and the meaning all at once.

Make sure you do not forget the final dot (丶) at the bottom right of the 兔 part — without it, the character looks like 免 (miǎn, meaning "avoid"). Also, the left 土 should be narrow and slightly shorter than the right 兔, and the strokes of 兔 must be written in the correct order: first the top left stroke, then the mouth (口), then the legs (儿), and finally the dot.

型 (xíng) has a top part 开 (not 兔) above 土, meaning "mold" or "type" — it is used for shapes or patterns. 垌 (dòng) has 同 (tóng) on the right instead of 兔, and means "field" or "paddy field". Visually, 堍 is the only one with the rabbit component, and its pronunciation (tù) is unique.

堍 is a rare character mostly found in technical terms like 桥堍 (bridge approach) or in place names near bridges. You might see it on road signs or in engineering documents describing the area where a bridge meets the ground. It is not used in everyday conversation, so knowing it helps with very specific vocabulary related to bridges and infrastructure.

Common words containing 堍 include: 桥堍 (qiáo tù) — Bridge approach (the area where the bridge meets the road); 堍侧 (tù cè) — beside the bridge approach; 堍下 (tù xià) — below the bridge approach.