How to Write 镖 (biāo) — Meaning “dart or throwing knife”

Imagine a metal dart (钅) flying toward a ticket (票) pinned on a board — that ticket is the target. This visual helps you link the metal radical and the right side to the idea of a "dart" or "throwing knife."

The right side 票 is taller than the left 钅, so keep the metal radical compact and centered. A common mistake is making the 钅 too wide or misplacing the horizontal stroke in 票 — note that 票 has a short horizontal stroke at the top, not a full line.

镖 (dart) uses the metal radical with 票, while 锲 (qiè, to carve) has a different right side (契) and means cutting into metal. 锴 (kǎi, high-quality iron) uses 楷 as the right side and refers to fine metal. Visually, the right sides are distinct — 票 vs 契 vs 楷 — so focus on the top part to tell them apart.

镖 appears in words like 保镖 (bǎo biāo, bodyguard) and 飞镖 (fēi biāo, darts). The historical 镖局 were private escort agencies that protected goods and people using armed guards, reflecting a cultural tradition in Chinese martial arts and commerce.

Common words containing 镖 include: 保镖 (bǎo biāo) — bodyguard; 飞镖 (fēi biāo) — darts; 镖局 (biāo jú) — escort agency (historical).