How to Write 骓 (zhuī) — Meaning “Piebald horse”

Picture a horse (马) with a bird (隹) perched on its back, and the bird's feathers are black and white. This reminds you that 骓 means a piebald horse with mixed colors. The bird's name "zhuī" also sounds similar to the character's pinyin.

Write the left radical 马 with 3 strokes: horizontal, vertical, and horizontal. The right part 隹 has 8 strokes starting with a left-falling stroke and four horizontal lines at the bottom. A common mistake is confusing the top of 隹 with the radical 亻; remember that 隹 has a dot and a left-falling stroke at the top.

骓 (zhuī) refers to a horse's color pattern, while 骁 (xiāo) means a brave or excellent horse, and 骄 (jiāo) means a proud horse or arrogant attitude. Visually, the right side differs: 骓 has 隹, 骁 has 尧, and 骄 has 乔. All share the horse radical but have distinct meanings and pronunciations.

骓 is quite rare in everyday modern language and appears mainly in classical literature and historical stories, like the famous horse 乌骓 (wū zhuī) belonging to the ancient general Xiang Yu. You might encounter it in poetry, novels, or discussions about Chinese history. It is not part of the HSK vocabulary, so it suits advanced learners interested in cultural heritage.

Common words containing 骓 include: 乌骓 (wū zhuī) — black horse (with white feet); 骓马 (zhuī mǎ) — Piebald horse; 骓不逝 (zhuī bù shì) — The horse will not go.