How to Write 鳟 (zūn) — Meaning “trout”

Imagine a trout fish wearing a formal "尊" (respect) robe, because trout are often considered a prized catch. The left side 鱼 reminds you it is a fish, and the right side 尊 sounds like "zūn," which can be linked to the word for "honored" – a fish worthy of respect.

Start with the left radical 鱼: write the top hook, then the inner field, then the bottom horizontal. For the right side 尊, pay attention to the top part which has two dots (丷) – not a single dot. Then write 酉 (the wine jar) with its horizontal strokes, and finally the bottom 寸. A common mistake is to confuse the top of 尊 with a single dot or to make the 酉 part too narrow.

鳟 has the fish radical on the left and 尊 on the right, meaning trout. In contrast, 鳌 has the fish radical at the bottom and 敖 (áo) on top, meaning a legendary turtle. 鳍 also has the fish radical on the left but its right side is 耆 (qí), meaning fin. So the arrangement and right-side component are key visual clues.

鳟 appears almost exclusively in fish names, such as 鳟鱼 (zūn yú) for trout and 虹鳟 (hóng zūn) for rainbow trout. It is not a common character in daily conversation, but you will see it on restaurant menus or in fishing contexts. Trout is farmed in China and enjoyed in Western-style dishes, so the character carries a slightly exotic or gourmet feel.

Common words containing 鳟 include: 鳟鱼 (zūn yú) — trout; 虹鳟 (hóng zūn) — Rainbow trout; 钓鳟鱼 (diào zūn yú) — Fishing for trout.