How to Write 狈 (bèi) — Meaning “Bei (a legendary wolf-like animal).”

Imagine a wolf (犭) carrying a seashell (贝) on its back, which makes it look clumsy and awkward — just like the feeling of being in a 狼狈 (embarrassed) situation. This image ties the character to its common use in the word 狼狈, meaning in a difficult position.

Write the radical 犭 first with three strokes: a left-falling hook, another left-falling, and then a curved hook. Then add 贝 with four strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, and left-falling. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider to maintain balance.

The key difference is the right-side component: 狈 has 贝 (shell), 犯 has a different right part (like 巳 but open) meaning "to commit crime," and 犰 has 九 (nine). Visually, 狈 is almost always used in compound words like 狼狈, while 犯 is a common verb and 犰 is extremely rare.

狈 is seldom used alone; it almost always appears in the fixed expression 狼狈 (láng bèi), meaning embarrassed or in a difficult situation, and the idiom 狼狈为奸, meaning to collude in evil deeds. Culturally, the legend says 狈 cannot walk on its own and must lean on a wolf, so the word 狼狈 vividly describes helplessness or awkwardness.

Common words containing 狈 include: 狼狈 (láng bèi) — in a difficult position / embarrassed; 狈子 (bèi zi) — A young Bei (wolf-like animal).; 狼狈为奸 (láng bèi wéi jiān) — to collude in evil / hand in glove.