Definitions

pen

Etymology

Variant of . Pictograph of a hand holding a writing utensil.

About

(yù) is a variant of , a pictograph of a hand holding a writing brush. It functions primarily as a structural component in other characters rather than as an independent word in modern Chinese. The ancient form depicts a hand grasping a stylus or bamboo brush used for writing and etching before the widespread adoption of ink brushes. Though almost never used on its own today, appears in characters related to writing, such as (bǐ), reflecting the early connection between manual labor and record-keeping.