How to Write 卬 (áng) — Meaning “lofty; high; I (archaic)”

Picture a person (the left stroke) kneeling (卩) while raising their head high to look up at a tall mountain. The shape of 卬 visually suggests a head tilted back, matching its meaning of 'lofty' or 'to look up.'

Start with the left stroke: a downward-left diagonal (like a short slant), then the kneeling radical 卩: a horizontal hook and a vertical stroke with a sharp turn. The left stroke should be shorter than the 卩 part, and the final vertical stroke must not extend too far down, keeping the character compact and balanced.

卩 is simply the kneeling seal radical with no extra left stroke; it never appears alone in modern Chinese. 卫 (wèi, meaning 'defend') adds two horizontal strokes inside the 卩 shape. While 卬 has a left slanting stroke and means 'lofty', 卩 is only a component, and 卫 has a completely different meaning and extra strokes.

卬 is rarely used in everyday modern Chinese, mainly appearing in classical texts or literary expressions like 卬首 (hold head high) and 卬望 (look up at). It also appears in the name of the ancient state 卬 (Ang) and is occasionally found in poetic or formal writing to convey a sense of elevation or ancient elegance.

Common words containing 卬 include: 卬首 (áng shǒu) — to hold one's head high; 卬望 (áng wàng) — to look up at; 卬卬 (áng áng) — lofty; imposing; high.