How to Write 蓣 (yù) — Meaning “yam”

Imagine a wild yam growing in a grassy field (艹) while an elephant (象, part of 豫) walks by. The elephant steps carefully to avoid crushing the yam, so you remember 蓣 as 'grass + elephant' for yam. This visual connects the plant and the unusual lower part.

蓣 has 13 strokes: write the grass radical (艹) first as two horizontal lines with a vertical center. Then write 豫: start with the left part 予 (three strokes: hook, horizontal, vertical hook) and finish with the right part 象 (11 strokes). Common mistake: making the lower part too wide; keep 豫 compact so the whole character stays balanced.

蓣 means yam and is used in words like 山蓣 (wild yam), while 莿 (cì) has the radical 艹 but means 'thorn' or 'splinter' and is rare. 菀 (wǎn or yù) can mean 'luxuriant growth' or be a surname; it looks similar but has 宛 below instead of 豫. Focus on the lower part: 蓣 has 豫, 莿 has 刺, 菀 has 宛.

蓣 appears mainly in botanical or dietary terms like 薯蓣 (shǔ yù, Chinese yam) and 山蓣 (shān yù, wild yam). Chinese yam is a common ingredient in soups and medicinal dishes, valued for its nourishing properties. Though not an HSK character, you may see it on food labels or in traditional Chinese medicine contexts.

Common words containing 蓣 include: 山蓣 (shān yù) — Wild yam; 薯蓣 (shǔ yù) — Chinese yam; 蓣薯 (yù shǔ) — yam.