How to Write 鸱 (chī) — Meaning “owl / bird of prey”

Imagine an owl (a bird of prey) sitting on a low foundation — 氐 looks like a base or pedestal. Since 鸱 sounds like "cheep," you can think: "The owl says 'cheep' while perched on its base."

Pay attention to the stroke order of the left radical 鸟: first write the left-falling stroke, then horizontal fold hook, dot, vertical fold fold hook, and final horizontal. The right part 氐 ends with a slanted hook; keep the two halves balanced — do not make the right side too wide or the hook too long.

鸱 has 鸟 on the left and 氐 on the right, while 袅 has 衣 (clothes) on top and 鸟 on the bottom, meaning "wispy." 鸢 has 弋 (a dart) on top and 鸟 below, meaning "kite" (bird or toy). Visually, focus on the top or right component: 氐, 衣, or 弋.

鸱 is not common in everyday speech; it appears mainly in literary or specialized terms. For example, 鸱吻 refers to an ornamental roof ridge decoration in traditional Chinese architecture, and 鸱鸮 means "owl." It carries a classical or cultural feel rather than being a daily word.

Common words containing 鸱 include: 鸱鸮 (chī xiāo) — owl; 鸱吻 (chī wěn) — chiwen (ornamental roof ridge decoration); 鸱鸺 (chī xiū) — scops owl.