How to Write 隹 (zhuī) — Meaning “short-tailed bird radical”

Imagine the top part (a horizontal line with a vertical stroke) as the bird's head and beak, the middle strokes as its wings, and the bottom four horizontal lines as its short, stubby tail feathers. The overall shape looks like a simple bird profile, which helps link the character to its meaning.

The stroke order is: left vertical, then top horizontal, then the vertical hook through the middle, then two horizontal strokes inside, and finally the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the left vertical too long or forgetting the small dot-like stroke near the top—remember it is part of the head, not a separate stroke.

隹 (zhuī) is a general short-tailed bird radical, while 隼 (sǔn) means falcon and has an extra downward stroke on top, like a crest. 隺 (hè) is rare and often used as a component meaning "crane" or "high," with a more elongated top. Visually, 隹 has a flat top, 隼 has a pointy top, and 隺 has a curved top stroke.

隹 is rarely used as a standalone character; it mainly appears as a radical (隹部) in characters related to birds, such as 鸡 (chicken) and 雀 (sparrow). It is also seen in classical texts or bird species names (e.g., 隹类 for short-tailed bird types). Learners will encounter it mostly in dictionary sections or when studying radical 172.

Common words containing 隹 include: 隹部 (zhuī bù) — the 'Zhui' radical (radical 172); 隹鸟 (zhuī niǎo) — short-tailed bird; 隹类 (zhuī lèi) — bird species (specifically short-tailed ones).