How to Write 䍃 (yóu) — Meaning “pottery; kiln”

Imagine a pottery kiln (缶) shaped like a tall jar with a lid, and the right side 䍃 looks like a person carrying a heavy load of clay on their back. The whole character can be visualized as "a potter working at the kiln, carrying clay." This image links the shape to the meaning of pottery and kiln.

Write the radical 缶 first: left vertical stroke, then top horizontal, then the middle horizontal, then the bottom left vertical, and finally the bottom horizontal. The right part 䍃 starts with a short left-falling stroke (撇), then a horizontal, a vertical, and a downward hook (㇁) — be careful not to make the hook too large. Keep the left and right parts balanced in height, with the right side slightly taller.

缸 (gāng) means a vat or jar and has the radical 缶 on the left but a different right component 工 (gōng), so it's simpler and more common. 缺 (quē) means to lack or be incomplete, with the radical 缶 on the left and the right part 夬 (guài). Visually, 䍃 has a taller, more complex right side with a hook, while 缺 has a right side that looks like a hand with a thumb. Remember: 䍃 is about pottery, 缸 is a container, and 缺 is about missing something.

䍃 is very rare in modern Chinese and not part of the HSK vocabulary; it appears mostly in classical texts or specialized pottery contexts. The word 䍃石 (yóu shí) refers to pottery stone used in ceramics, and 䍃器 (yóu qì) means earthenware. Culturally, it connects to China's long history of pottery-making, but learners will seldom encounter it outside of historical or technical writings.

Common words containing 䍃 include: 䍃石 (yóu shí) — pottery stone; 䍃器 (yóu qì) — pottery; earthenware; 䍃皿 (yóu mǐn) — pottery vessel.