How to Write 戊 (wù) — Meaning “the fifth of the ten Heavenly Stems”

Imagine a person wearing a wide-brimmed hat (the top horizontal stroke) holding a halberd (戈). This person is the fifth in a line of warriors, helping you link the shape to the meaning "the fifth" of the Heavenly Stems.

Write 戊 in 5 strokes: horizontal, left-falling, horizontal hook, slanted hook, then a dot inside. A common mistake is writing the slanted hook too short or forgetting the final dot — without the dot, the character looks like 戈 (spear). Keep the top horizontal stroke longer than the one in 戈.

戊 has a horizontal top stroke and a dot inside, while 戈 is just the halberd radical without the top line or dot. 戉 (yuè) is similar but has a different right side — it often includes a downward stroke through the middle. In meaning, 戊 is a number (fifth), 戈 is a weapon, and 戉 means a large axe.

戊 is rarely used alone today; it appears mainly in historical and calendrical terms like 戊戌变法 (the Hundred Days' Reform of 1898) or in the 60-year cycle (e.g., 戊子年). Culturally, it is one of the ten Heavenly Stems, used alongside the twelve Earthly Branches to record years, months, and days in traditional Chinese astrology.

Common words containing 戊 include: 戊戌 (wù xū) — Wuxu (35th year of the 60-year cycle); 戊 (wù) — the fifth of the ten Heavenly Stems; 戊子 (wù zi) — Wuzi (25th year of the 60-year cycle).