How to Write 卓 (zhuó) — Meaning “outstanding; eminent; tall”

Imagine a diviner (卜) standing under the sun (日) on a tall wooden platform (十) — he is so "outstanding" that everyone notices him. This mental picture helps you recall the components and the character's meaning of being eminent.

Write 卜 first (left-falling stroke then a dot), then 日 (vertical, top horizontal, middle horizontal, bottom horizontal), and finally 十 (horizontal then vertical). A common mistake is making the top 卜 too wide — keep it narrow so the character stays tall and balanced.

卓 has 卜 on top and means "outstanding," while 倝 (gàn) has a person radical (亻) on the left and means "sunrise" — it is very rare. 华 (huá) has 化 on top and means "splendid" or "China," and the bottom looks like 十 but the overall shape is wider. So focus on the top part: 卜 vs 化 vs 亻.

卓 appears in formal or literary words like 卓越 (excellent), 卓见 (insightful view), and 卓有成效 (highly effective). It is also used in names (e.g., 卓别林 for Charlie Chaplin) and in company or brand names to suggest superiority or distinction.

Common words containing 卓 include: 卓越 (zhuó yuè) — excellent; outstanding; 卓见 (zhuó jiàn) — insightful view; brilliant opinion; 卓有成效 (zhuó yǒu chéng xiào) — highly effective; fruitful.