How to Write 啄 (zhuó) — Meaning “to peck”

Imagine a woodpecker (啄木鸟) using its mouth (口) to peck a pig (豕) that has a dot like a worm on top. The dot represents the tiny hole the bird makes in the tree bark.

Start with the left 口 (3 strokes), then write the dot (丶) first on the right, followed by the 豕 part. A common mistake is forgetting the dot above 豕 or making the right side too wide—keep it balanced.

啄 has a right side with a pig (豕) and a dot, meaning to peck. 呲 has 此 (this) on the right and means to show teeth or grin. 咠 has 耳 (ear) inside and means to whisper or a sound. Their right-side components are visually distinct.

啄 is used to describe birds pecking at food or objects, like 啄食 (peck at food) and especially in 啄木鸟 (woodpecker). It appears in nature descriptions and children's stories about birds.

Common words containing 啄 include: 啄木鸟 (zhuó mù niǎo) — woodpecker; 啄食 (zhuó shí) — to peck at food; 啄 (zhuó) — to peck.