How to Write 邹 (zōu) — Meaning “Zou (a surname)”

Picture a left ear (阝) listening to a farmer carrying hay (刍) — that farmer's name is Mr. Zou. The ear on the left and the hay on the right help you recall the shape. Just remember "ear + hay = surname Zou."

Write the left radical 阝 first: a short horizontal bend, then a vertical stroke ending with a hook. Next, write the right part 刍: start with a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal fold hook, and finally two dots. Keep the left side narrow and the right side slightly wider, with the bottom of both parts aligned.

All three share the left radical 阝, but the right sides differ: 邹 has 刍 (7 strokes total), 邗 has 干 (5 strokes), and 邘 has 于 (6 strokes). 邹 is exclusively a surname, while 邗 and 邘 are place names (邗 is a district in Yangzhou, 邘 is an ancient state). Visually, the right part of 邹 is more complex and has two dots at the bottom.

邹 is used almost exclusively as a Chinese surname, such as in 邹先生 (Mr. Zou) or 邹同学 (Student Zou). It is not a common word in daily vocabulary and is not in the HSK list. Culturally, 邹 is a well-known surname with historical roots, including the ancient state of Zou and famous figures like the philosopher Zou Yan.

Common words containing 邹 include: 邹先生 (zōu xiān shēng) — Mr. Zou; 邹同学 (zōu tóng xué) — Student Zou; 姓邹 (xìng zōu) — Surname Zou.