Nüshu Character Vu42

It writes a spoken syllable, not a single fixed word.

Unicode lists its common Jiangyong reading as vu42. The letters give the syllable; 42 marks its tone, or pitch pattern. Nüshu signs can represent several words that sound alike, so the surrounding line supplies the intended word.

As of 2026-09-24, on Linux GNOME/GTK press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 1B1EF, then Enter. macOS Unicode Hex Input accepts only four hexadecimal digits, so use the Copy button there.

How do I type 𛇯?

Use Linux's Unicode entry shortcut or the Copy button.

As of 2026-09-24, on GNOME/GTK press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 1B1EF, then Enter. On macOS, Unicode Hex Input accepts only four hexadecimal digits; use the Copy button for this five-digit value.

How was Nüshu used?

Women used it to write local speech, songs, letters, and wedding books.

Nüshu developed from Chinese character forms to write the local speech of Jiangyong County in Hunan. The earliest known object bearing it is a coin from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864); its inscription describes women everywhere as one family of sisters.

Women used it for songs and correspondence between sworn sisters—close friends who pledged sisterhood—and for third-day wedding books, given to brides by friends three days after marriage. By the late twentieth century, few fluent writers remained; study and preservation followed.