How to Write 株 (zhū) — Meaning “Plant; Stump; Measure word for plants”

Imagine a red-colored tree stump — the left side is 木 (tree) and the right side is 朱 (which can mean red). Picture a stump painted bright red to help you recall that 株 means "stump" or "plant" and is used as a measure word. This visual link makes the character easier to remember.

Write 木 first as the left radical: horizontal stroke, vertical stroke, left-falling stroke, then right-falling stroke. Then write 朱 on the right: a short left-falling stroke, horizontal, vertical, and two small strokes (left-falling and dot at bottom). A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the two bottom strokes — keep the right side compact and ensure the vertical stroke of 朱 is straight.

株 (zhū) has 朱 on the right and means "plant stump" or is a measure word for plants. 杪 (miǎo) has 少 on the right and means "treetop" or "tip of a branch." 杭 (háng) has 亢 on the right and refers to a boat or is part of the city name Hangzhou. Focus on the right-side component: 朱 (red/stump), 少 (few/tip), 亢 (high/extend) to distinguish them.

You use 株 as a measure word for plants, like 一株花 (one plant of flower) or 一株树 (one tree). It also appears in the famous idiom 守株待兔, which tells the story of a farmer who waited by a stump for a rabbit to crash into it, meaning to wait passively for luck. This idiom is a common cultural reference warning against relying on chance.

Common words containing 株 include: 一株 (yī zhū) — a plant (measure word); 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù) — To wait idly for opportunities or wait for a windfall.; 株距 (zhū jù) — Plant spacing; Distance between plants.