How to Write 倬 (zhuō) — Meaning “tall and big; noticeable”

Imagine a person (亻) standing next to an exceptionally tall table (卓) that reaches above their head. The tall table makes the person look small, but the person is actually 倬 (tall and noticeable) themselves. This visual of a person beside a towering table helps link 倬 to the idea of being tall or outstanding.

Write the left radical 亻 first with a narrow, vertical shape, then add 卓 on the right. The top of 卓 has a vertical stroke followed by two horizontals, not a 卜 shape—be careful not to connect the top strokes too tightly. The final stroke of 卓 is a vertical line that should align with the bottom of the radical.

倬 (zhuō) uses 卓 ('tall') and means outstanding or tall, while 佬 (lǎo) uses 老 ('old') and refers to an old person or a suffix for a man. 佩 (pèi) has the radical 亻 but the right side is 凡+巾 ('cloth'), meaning to wear or admire. Visually, 倬 has a distinctive top on 卓 that 佬 and 佩 don't share.

倬 is rare in everyday speech but appears in formal or literary contexts to mean 'outstanding' or 'distinguished,' often in words like 倬尔 (zhuō ěr) for 'remarkable.' It may also be used in classical poetry or personal names to evoke a sense of greatness. Because it is not in the HSK vocabulary, learners will mostly encounter it in historical or artistic texts.

Common words containing 倬 include: 倬尔 (zhuō ěr) — outstanding; remarkable; 倬著 (zhuō zhù) — distinguished; prominent; 宏倬 (hóng zhuō) — Great / Vast.