How to Write 圉 (yǔ) — Meaning “stable / groom / prison”

Picture a square stable (囗) with a horse inside — the inner part 幸 can be imagined as a horse wearing a saddle (the horizontal lines). Alternatively, think of the pinyin yǔ as sounding like ‘you’ and say: ‘You put the horse in a square pen to keep it safe.’ This visual link helps recall the character’s meaning of stable or confinement.

The outer box 囗 should be drawn first, with the left vertical line slightly longer than the right. The inner 幸 must stay completely inside the box without touching the top or bottom lines; its horizontal strokes should be evenly spaced and not too long. A common mistake is making the inner part too large, causing it to break out of the enclosure.

圉 (yǔ) means stable, groom, or prison, using 幸 inside 囗. In contrast, 囿 (yòu) means a garden or park, with 有 (to have) inside the enclosure, and 圂 (hùn) means a pigsty or chaos, with 豕 (pig) inside. While 圉 focuses on confining people or horses, 囿 is for plants and animals in a park, and 圂 specifically refers to a pigpen.

圉 is a rare character not in the HSK list, appearing mostly in classical or historical texts. You will find it in words like 圉人 (yǔ rén, groom) and 圉禁 (yǔ jìn, imprison) when reading ancient Chinese literature. For modern learners, it is a specialized character used to describe stables or confinement in historical contexts.

Common words containing 圉 include: 圉人 (yǔ rén) — groom / stableman; 牧圉 (mù yǔ) — herdsman; 圉禁 (yǔ jìn) — imprison / confine.