How to Write 驺 (zōu) — Meaning “groom; equerry; attendant”

Picture a horse (马) standing beside a pile of grass (刍) — the groom is the person who brings the horse its food. This image links the two parts to the character's meaning of a caretaker for horses.

Write the left radical 马 first with three strokes: horizontal, vertical-hook, and then a final horizontal. Then write the right part 刍, making sure the first stroke (a short left-falling stroke) does not cross the hook. A common mistake is making the right side too wide, so keep it compact to balance the character.

驺 has the right component 刍 (grass), while 驮 has 大 (big) and 驯 has 川 (river). In meaning, 驺 refers to a person (a groom), 驮 is a verb meaning "to carry on the back," and 驯 is an adjective meaning "tame." Visually, remember that 驺 contains the grass shape that hints at feeding horses.

驺 is very rare in modern everyday Chinese and appears mainly in historical or literary contexts, such as terms like 驺卒 (groom) and 驺从 (mounted retinue). A notable cultural reference is 驺虞, a mythical benevolent beast from ancient texts, often used to describe virtuous rule.

Common words containing 驺 include: 驺卒 (zōu zú) — groom; stable hand; 驺从 (zōu cóng) — mounted retinue; attendants; 驺虞 (zōu yú) — Zouyu (a mythical righteous beast).