How to Write 窬 (yú) — Meaning “hole in a wall”

Imagine a thief (俞 sounds like "you" in English) trying to squeeze through a cave-like hole (穴) in a wall to steal something. Picture the thief saying "you!" as they get stuck — this links the sound yú and the hole meaning.

The top part 穴 must be wide enough to cover the bottom 俞, especially the first stroke (dot) and the second stroke (dot) symmetrically. The bottom 俞 has a narrow left side and a wider right side; a common mistake is making the "月" component too big or misaligning the vertical strokes.

窬 (yú) specifically means a hole made in a wall, often for burglary (穿窬). 窖 (jiào) means a cellar or pit for storage, while 窗 (chuāng) means a window. Visually, 窬 has 俞 below, 窖 has 告 below, and 窗 has 囱 below.

窬 is rare in daily speech and mainly appears in formal or classical texts, like the word 穿窬 (chuānyú, "to break in through a wall"). It carries a strong literary or legal flavor, often referring to ancient burglary methods rather than modern locks or doors.

Common words containing 窬 include: 穿窬 (chuān yú) — To bore a hole through a wall / burglary; 窬墙 (yú qiáng) — to climb over a wall (through a hole); 窦窬 (dòu yú) — hole in a wall.