How to Write 橥 (zhū) — Meaning “stake; post”

Imagine a pig (猪) tied to a wooden stake (木) in a farm field. This picture connects the pig character to the wood radical and reminds you that 橥 means a stake used to secure animals. The visual of a pig at a post helps fix the meaning and pronunciation in your mind.

Write the left radical 木 first, then the right component 猪 — but note that 猪 itself has three parts: 犭 (dog radical) on the left, then 者 on the right. Keep the 木 radical narrow and the 猪 part balanced; a common mistake is making 木 too wide. Pay special attention to the hook in 犭 and the 7 strokes in 者.

Look at the right side: 橥 has 猪 (pig), 椴 has 段 (a segment), and 椹 has 甚 (extremely). Their meanings differ too: 橥 means a stake or peg, 椴 refers to a linden tree or a wooden block, and 椹 can mean mulberry fruit or a type of wood. The visual difference in the right component is the easiest way to distinguish them.

橥 is very rare in daily life and mainly appears in classical writings or technical terms for stakes and pegs, such as 橥橛, 橥杙, and 橥桩. You might see it in historical farming or construction texts about tying animals or setting posts. It is not a common HSK character, so learners encounter it mostly in advanced or specialized material.

Common words containing 橥 include: 橥橛 (zhū jué) — stake; peg; 橥杙 (zhū yì) — stake; peg; 橥桩 (zhū zhuāng) — stake; pile.