How to Write 晬 (zuì) — Meaning “A child's first birthday”

Imagine a sun (日) shining brightly on a baby's first birthday party. The baby has finished (卒) their first year of life, so you can think 'sun + finish = first birthday celebration.'

Write the left radical 日 narrow and tall, taking about one-third of the width. The right part 卒 starts with a dot, then a horizontal stroke, and ends with a long vertical line; avoid making the upper part too large, as the lower strokes need space to balance the character.

晬 has the component 卒 on the right, while 晁 has 兆 (a different component) and is used as a surname or means 'to rise.' 㬎 is a rare character related to brightness and contains 显; visually, 晬's right side is more compact with a soldier-like shape, whereas 晁 has a split top.

晬 appears mainly in traditional or festive contexts, such as 周晬 (a child's first birthday) and 晬盘 (the first-birthday tray ceremony). The 晬盘 tradition involves placing symbolic items on a tray for the baby to choose, predicting their future, and this character is still used in formal invitations or family records.

Common words containing 晬 include: 周晬 (zhōu zuì) — a child's first birthday; 晬日 (zuì rì) — First birthday; 晬盘 (zuì pán) — First birthday anniversary tray.