How to Write 圬 (wū) — Meaning “To plaster; to whitewash”

Imagine a plasterer filling a 'deficient' (亏) spot on a wall made of 'earth' (土). The left side 土 represents the material, and the right side 亏 reminds you of a gap that needs to be covered. This mental image helps you associate the character with plastering.

Write the left radical 土 slightly narrower to leave space for the right side 亏. The right component 亏 has three strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal — the last stroke is a straight horizontal line, not a hook. Avoid making the right side too tall; keep both parts balanced.

圬 has 土 on the left and 亏 on the right, meaning 'to plaster'. 圣 (shèng) has 又 on top and 土 on bottom, meaning 'holy' or 'sacred'. 圤 (pǔ or other) has 土 on the left and 卜 on the right, and is a very rare character. The key differences are in the non-土 components and their positions.

圬 is a specialized, less common character found mainly in technical or literary texts about construction, such as 圬工 (wū gōng, masonry work) and 圬者 (wū zhě, plasterer). It is not used in everyday conversation and appears mostly in historical or professional contexts related to building and wall finishing.

Common words containing 圬 include: 圬工 (wū gōng) — Masonry; plastering work; 圬者 (wū zhě) — Plasterer; mason; 抹圬 (mǒ wū) — to plaster a wall.