How to Write 帀 (zā) — Meaning “a full cycle / a full year or month”

Picture a piece of cloth (巾) tied in a loop with a string going around it one full time. The horizontal line across the top reminds you of a complete circle, so you remember 帀 means "a full cycle" or "going around once."

Write 帀 with 4 strokes: first a horizontal line, then a vertical line down through it, then a horizontal fold (like a "7") and finally a vertical hook. A common mistake is making the top horizontal too short; it should extend left and right beyond the vertical stroke to emphasize the "wrap-around" shape.

帀 has a horizontal stroke across the top of 巾, while 巾 is just the cloth radical with no top line. 巿 (fú) looks similar but has a vertical stroke going through the middle and is used for words meaning "bustle" or "city district." 帀 specifically means a full cycle or full month/year.

帀 is rarely used alone today; it appears in classical or formal terms like 帀月 (a full month) and 帀岁 (a full year). You might encounter it in ancient texts or poetic descriptions of time cycles, but it is not common in daily conversation.

Common words containing 帀 include: 帀月 (zā yuè) — a full month; 帀岁 (zā suì) — a full year; 绕帀 (rào zā) — To make a circuit or go around once..