How to Write 鸺 (xiū) — Meaning “owlet”

Imagine a tiny owl saying "whoo" and then resting (休) on a branch. The left part 休 sounds like "shoe" but means rest, and the right part 鸟 looks like a bird. So picture a resting owl in a shoe to link the sound and meaning.

Pay attention to the left component 休: it has 6 strokes with a slanted 亻 on the left and 木 on the right. The right component 鸟 has 5 strokes, and its top stroke (a small dash) should not touch the left side. Common mistake is writing 休 too wide, so keep both halves balanced.

鸺 (xiū) means owlet and has the phonetic 休 on the left, while 鸥 (ōu) means seagull and has the phonetic 区 (qū) on the left. Visually, 鸥 has 区 (a box with an X inside) instead of 休, so look for the resting person vs. a box shape.

鸺 is a rare character mainly used in the word 鸺鹠 (xiū liú) meaning pygmy owl or owlet. It may appear in biological names or literary descriptions of small owls, but is not common in everyday conversation. You might encounter it in nature documentaries or classical poetry about nocturnal birds.

Common words containing 鸺 include: 鸺鹠 (xiū liú) — pygmy owl / owlet; 小鸺鹠 (xiǎo xiū liú) — Little owlet; 鸺鹠鸣 (xiū liú míng) — The owlet chirps..