柔

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soft; flexible; supple; yielding; rho (Greek letter Ρρ)

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Wood 木 so soft it can be cut 矛

Components 矛木

gentle · Heisig RSH #1003

矛 spear + 木 tree

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
巴西柔术	Bā xī róu shù	Brazilian jiu-jitsu
柔身术	róu shēn shù	contortion (performance art)
包柔氏螺旋体	Bāo róu shì luó xuán tǐ	Borrelia, genus of Spirochaete bacteria
柔佛州	Róu fó zhōu	Johor (state in Malaysia)
以柔克刚	yǐ róu kè gāng	to use softness to conquer strength (idiom)
外刚内柔	wài gāng nèi róu	soft on the inside despite one's hard shell; appearing tough on the outside as to mask one…
柔情脉脉	róu qíng mò mò	full of tender feelings (idiom); tender-hearted
柔情似水	róu qíng sì shuǐ	tender and soft as water; deeply attached to sb
柔能克刚	róu néng kè gāng	lit. the soft can subdue the hard
柔性	róu xìng	flexibility
怀柔区	Huái róu Qū	Huairou, a district of Beijing
柔软精	róu ruǎn jīng	fabric softener (Tw)
柔道	róu dào	judo
柔顺剂	róu shùn jì	fabric softener
柔美	róu měi	gentle and beautiful
柔情	róu qíng	gentle feelings; tender sentiments
柔软剂	róu ruǎn jì	fabric softener
柔和	róu hé	gentle; soft
柔佛海峡	Róu fó Hǎi xiá	Straits of Johor (between Malaysia and Singapore)
柔术	róu shù	jujitsu; contortion (performance art)

These characters use 柔 as their sound component — compare how they read.