How to Write 楹 (yíng) — Meaning “pillar; column”

Imagine a wooden pillar (木) that is so strong and full (盈) that it can hold up a whole building. You can picture the right side 盈 as a container (皿) that is overflowing with strength, which helps you remember that 楹 means a solid pillar.

The left side 木 must be written narrow and tall, with the stroke order: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, and a small dot on the right. The right side 盈 has nine strokes – start with the top part (like 乃 but with a short extra line), then write 又 in the middle, and finish with a wide 皿 (dish) at the bottom; do not make the left 木 too wide or the 皿 too small.

Both 桫 (suō) and 桲 (bó) are names of specific trees or plants, while 楹 specifically refers to a wooden pillar used in architecture. Visually, 楹 has the component 盈 on the right, whereas 桫 has 沙 and 桲 has 孛, so their right sides look completely different.

楹 is most commonly seen in the word 楹联 (yíng lián), which means a couplet written on or hung on pillars, especially in temples or traditional buildings. It is also used in formal descriptions of architecture, such as 楹柱 (pillar) or 门楹 (door posts), but it is not a common everyday character and appears mostly in cultural or historical contexts.

Common words containing 楹 include: 楹联 (yíng lián) — couplet (on pillars); 楹柱 (yíng zhù) — pillar; column; 门楹 (mén yíng) — Door posts.