How to Write 隅 (yú) — Meaning “Corner / Nook”

Picture the left part 阝 as a wall, and the right part 禺 as a strange creature sitting in the corner next to it. The creature's shape includes a small mouth (口) and a tail (内), reminding you that it is tucked away in a nook. So, think: 'A creature in the corner by the wall.'

Start with the left radical 阝 (two strokes: a horizontal bend and a vertical line). The right side 禺 has 9 strokes: first write the top 口, then the short horizontal and vertical inside, then the bottom内 (a box with a small diagonal stroke). A common mistake is to make the left radical too wide or to forget the small diagonal inside 禺—keep the left narrow and the right balanced.

Though they all share the 阝 radical, 隅 (yú) means 'corner/nook', while 郗 (xī) is a rare surname and 郛 (fú) means 'outer wall of a city' or 'suburb'. Visually, 隅 uses 禺 on the right, 郗 uses 希 (xī), and 郛 uses 孚 (fú). Their meanings are unrelated, so context helps you choose correctly.

隅 is common in literary or formal writing to describe a physical corner, like 墙隅 (qiáng yú, wall corner), or a remote place, such as 偏隅 (piān yú, a remote corner). It also appears in idioms like 失之东隅,收之桑榆 (lose at sunrise, gain at sunset—meaning a setback may turn into a gain). You will mostly see it in written texts rather than everyday speech.

Common words containing 隅 include: 墙隅 (qiáng yú) — Corner of a wall.; 隅角 (yú jiǎo) — Corner / Angle; 偏隅 (piān yú) — a remote corner; a small corner.