How to Write 楦 (xuàn) — Meaning “shoe last; to stretch shoes”

Imagine a wooden tree (木) with a shoe placed on top. The right side 宣 looks like a shoe being stretched over the wood. Think: "Wood (木) stretches (宣) the shoe" to remember that 楦 means a shoe last.

Pay attention to the right part 宣: it begins with a dot (宀), then a short horizontal stroke, and ends with 日 (sun), not 目 (eye). The left 木 should have a slightly shorter horizontal stroke so the right side fits neatly. The total stroke count is 13.

While 楦 has the right component 宣, 桫 has 沙 (sand) on the right and names a type of tree (tree fern), and 桲 has 孛 on the right and names a fruit tree (quince). All share the wood radical, but only 楦 is related to shoemaking tools, not trees.

楦 appears in specialized contexts like shoemaking and shoe repair shops. The word 鞋楦 (xié xuàn) refers to a shoe last, and the verb 楦鞋 (xuàn xié) means to stretch shoes using a last. It is not common in everyday speech but is still used by craftspeople.

Common words containing 楦 include: 楦头 (xuàn tóu) — shoe last; 楦鞋 (xuàn xié) — to stretch shoes with a last; 鞋楦 (xié xuàn) — Shoe last.