How to Write 竹 (zhú) — Meaning “Bamboo”

Imagine two bamboo stalks standing side by side, each with two leaves drooping down — the shape of 竹 looks just like that. You can also think of it as a pair of chopsticks, since chopsticks are often made of bamboo.

Write the left half first: a short downward-left stroke (撇), then a horizontal stroke (横), followed by a vertical stroke (竖). Then repeat the same three strokes on the right side. Keep the two halves close together and balanced — a common mistake is spacing them too far apart.

竹 is a standalone character meaning "bamboo," while ⺮ is only used as a radical on top of other characters, like in 笔 (brush) or 笑 (laugh). 竺 is a different character (pronounced zhú) that appears in ancient texts or as a surname and looks like 竹 with an extra horizontal stroke at the bottom.

竹 appears in everyday words like 竹子 (bamboo), 竹林 (bamboo forest), and 竹筷 (bamboo chopsticks). Culturally, bamboo represents resilience and integrity in Chinese art and literature, and it is one of the "Four Gentlemen" (四君子) in traditional painting, symbolizing moral character.

Common words containing 竹 include: 竹子 (zhú zi) — Bamboo; 竹林 (zhú lín) — Bamboo forest; bamboo grove; 竹筷 (zhú kuài) — Bamboo chopsticks.