How to Write 幄 (wò) — Meaning “Tent / Canopy”

Imagine a cloth (巾) placed over a house (屋) to create a temporary shelter. This mental picture of a "cloth house" directly represents the meaning of a tent or canopy.

Write the left radical 巾 first with three strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, then the final vertical stroke. For the right part 屋, note that it has 9 strokes total, and the top 尸 must be written before the bottom 至. A common mistake is making the right side too wide.

While all contain the 巾 radical, 席 (xí) means 'mat' for sitting, 帱 (chóu) means 'bed curtain', and 幄 (wò) specifically refers to a large tent, often used in military contexts. The phrase 帷幄 (wéi wò) means 'army tent' or 'strategy headquarters'.

Today 幄 is rarely used alone and appears mostly in classical or formal writing, especially in the idiom 运筹帷幄 (yùn chóu wéi wò), meaning 'to devise strategies within a command tent'. This phrase describes careful planning and is associated with military leadership.

Common words containing 幄 include: 帷幄 (wéi wò) — Army tent / Strategy headquarters; 帐幄 (zhàng wò) — tent; canopy; 幄幕 (wò mù) — Tent / Large curtain.