How to Write 云 (yún) — Meaning “Cloud.”

Imagine writing a flat cloud layer with two short horizontals, then add a curved hook to show the cloud's rounded edge, and finally a dot to represent a raindrop. So the stroke order is: line, line, hook, dot — like drawing a simple cloud.

The first two strokes are horizontal lines, parallel and evenly spaced. The third stroke is a curved hook (撇折) that starts from the left of the second line and bends right, and the last stroke is a small dot below the hook. A common mistake is making the third stroke too straight or forgetting the dot.

二 is just two horizontal lines meaning 'two', with no extra strokes. 亍 (chù) looks like 二 with a vertical line dropping from the bottom, meaning 'to step'. 云 adds a curved hook and a dot, giving it a different shape and meaning 'cloud'.

云 is common in weather terms like 多云 (duō yún, cloudy) and in computing for 'cloud' as in 云端 (yún duān, on the cloud). In Chinese culture, clouds symbolize good fortune and are often seen in traditional paintings and patterns.

Common words containing 云 include: 白云 (bái yún) — white cloud; 云端 (yún duān) — Cloud top or the cloud (computing).; 多云 (duō yún) — Cloudy..