How to Write 爯 (chēng) — Meaning “To weigh / To cite (ancient)”

Imagine a hand (爪) reaching down to lift a scale, with the crossbar representing balance. The shape looks like a hand holding up a T-shaped weight, so you can think 'Hand weighs with a T-bar' to recall the meaning 'to weigh'.

The top radical 爪 is three short strokes that curve like fingers — do not make them too long or straight. The lower part is written with a horizontal stroke first, then a vertical hook, and the final two strokes are like small hands on each side, so keep them balanced and not too wide.

爯 (weigh/cite) has a balanced lower part, while 爬 (climb) uses the same top radical 爪 but with 巴 below. 爰 (yuan, a surname or ancient adverb) has a different lower part that looks like 友 without the top dot. Visually, 爯 has a hook in the middle, while 爰 has a straight vertical stroke with hands on sides.

This character is very rare in modern Chinese and not part of standard vocabulary. It appears mostly in ancient texts or classical phrases like 爯引 (to cite) or 爯述 (to narrate), and as a mimetic word 爯爯 for a chirping sound. You will likely only encounter it in specialized literary or historical contexts.

Common words containing 爯 include: 爯爯 (chēng chēng) — Chirping sound; 爯引 (chēng yǐn) — To cite / To quote; 爯述 (chēng shù) — To state / To narrate.