How to Write 雍 (yōng) — Meaning “Harmonious; elegant”

Imagine a royal bird (隹) wearing a crown (亠) and opening its mouth (口) to sing a harmonious song. The pinyin "yōng" sounds like "young," so picture a young, elegant bird. This connects the sound and shape to the meaning of elegance.

Start with the dot and horizontal of the lid, then write the mouth as a small square. Next, write the bird below: first the leftward stroke, then the vertical, dot, and three horizontals, ending with the final vertical. A common mistake is making the mouth too wide – keep it narrow to balance the tall bird below.

The main difference is the top part: 雀 has a small "小" (small) above the bird, meaning a small bird (sparrow). 雍 has a lid and mouth above the bird, giving a more formal, elegant feeling. 䧹 is a very rare variant, so you usually only need to remember 雀 and 雍.

雍 is not common in everyday conversation but appears in formal words like 雍容 (yōng róng, elegant and poised) and proper names like 雍和宫 (Yōng Hé Gōng, the famous Lama Temple in Beijing). It carries a classical, refined tone, so you might see it in literature or cultural contexts.

Common words containing 雍 include: 雍容 (yōng róng) — Elegant; poised; dignified; 雍和宫 (yōng hé gōng) — Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple); 雍穆 (yōng mù) — Harmonious and solemn.