How to Write 牖 (yǒu) — Meaning “Window”

Imagine a wooden slab (片) that you open to let in the smell of wine (酉) from outside. Or picture a window with a wine bottle on the sill. The combination of 'piece' and 'wine' can help you recall that 牖 means 'window'.

The left component 片 is written with four strokes: a vertical slash, a horizontal, a left-falling stroke, and a short horizontal fold. The right part 酉 has seven strokes, starting with a horizontal line and a mouth-like enclosure. A common mistake is making the 酉 part too wide; keep it balanced so the whole character fits a square shape.

牒 (dié) means 'document' or 'official certificate' and uses the same left radical 片, but its right part is 枼 (yè, 'leaf of a tree' or 'tablet'). In contrast, 牖 uses 酉 on the right. 牒 relates to written records, while 牖 is purely a physical window. They look similar but have completely different meanings.

牖 is an old-fashioned or literary word for 'window', rarely used in daily conversation. You might find it in classical poetry, idioms, or historical texts (e.g., 户牖 meaning 'doors and windows'). In modern Standard Chinese, the common word for window is 窗户 (chuānghu), so 牖 is mostly seen in formal or cultural contexts.

Common words containing 牖 include: 牖户 (yǒu hù) — Windows and doors; 户牖 (hù yǒu) — doors and windows; 桑牖 (sāng yǒu) — A window made of mulberry wood (symbolizing a poor home).