How to Write 冢 (zhǒng) — Meaning “Burial mound; tomb”

Imagine a pig (豕) trapped under a heavy mound or roof (冖) — a pig buried underground forms a tomb. This visual of a "pig under a cover" helps recall the meaning of burial mound.

The stroke order starts with the top radical 冖 (dot, horizontal hook), then the middle 豕: first the horizontal stroke, then the left and right 'legs' (slanted strokes), and finally the bottom left and right dots. A common mistake is writing the 冖 too wide or the 豕 squished; keep the top wide enough to cover the pig below.

冠 (guān, hat/crown) has 冖 plus 元 (yuan) and 寸 (hand), while 冢 has 豕 under 冖. 冡 (ancient, meaning cover) looks like 冢 but with 一 or a different bottom; 冡 has a horizontal line under 冖 instead of 豕. Though rare, 冡 is not used in modern Chinese.

冢 is mostly found in literary or historical contexts, like 冢墓 (tomb) or ancient titles such as 冢宰 (prime minister). It is not commonly used in daily conversation but appears in classical texts and poetry to evoke solemn, ancient burial sites.

Common words containing 冢 include: 冢宰 (zhǒng zǎi) — Prime minister (ancient title); 冢嗣 (zhǒng sì) — Eldest son; heir to the throne; 冢墓 (zhǒng mù) — Tomb; grave.