How to Write 竺 (zhú) — Meaning “India (ancient name) or a surname”

Imagine two (二) bamboo (⺮) plants growing in India, the ancient land of bamboo forests. This visual connects the components to the meaning 'Tianzhu (ancient India)'. You can also think of 'bamboo' + 'two' as a simple shape to recall the character.

Write the bamboo radical first: left part (left-falling stroke, horizontal, dot), then right part (left-falling, horizontal, dot), making a narrow top. Then write the bottom 二 as two horizontal lines of similar length, slightly wider than the top. A common mistake is making the bottom too narrow or writing the bamboo radical too wide.

⺮ is just the bamboo radical component, not a complete character. 竹 is a full character meaning 'bamboo' and has no bottom part. 竺 has an extra horizontal line and a bottom 二, making it a different character used for the ancient name of India or as a surname.

竺 is rarely used in daily conversation, but it appears in historical terms like 天竺 (Tiānzhú, ancient China's name for India) and in Buddhist vocabulary such as 竺法 (Buddhist teachings). It is also a common Chinese surname. You might encounter it in classical texts or cultural discussions about ancient India.

Common words containing 竺 include: 天竺 (tiān zhú) — Tianzhu (ancient Chinese name for India).; 竺法 (zhú fǎ) — Buddhist teachings; 竺僧 (zhú sēng) — Buddhist monk.