How to Write 迟 (chí) — Meaning “late / slow”

Imagine a person (represented by 尺, which looks like a ruler) walking slowly (辶) because they are carrying a long measuring stick. They are so focused on measuring every step that they become late.

Write the radical 辶 first: start with the dot, then the horizontal fold, then the vertical curve with a final sweep. The inner part 尺 has four strokes: horizontal fold, horizontal, vertical, and a small hook at the bottom. Make sure the 辶 fully wraps around the bottom of 尺, and keep the total width balanced.

迟 (slow/late) has the left side 辶 and right side 尺. 巡 (patrol) also has 辶 but the right side is 巛 (three strokes meaning river or repeated action). 边 (side) has 辶 and 力 (strength) as its right side. Visually, 迟 has a square-looking right part (尺), while 巡 looks more like a zigzag and 边 has a simple left-slanting stroke.

迟 is commonly used in words like 迟到 (chí dào, to be late) and 推迟 (tuī chí, to postpone). In Chinese culture, being late is often considered impolite, so students learn 迟到 early. The idiom 迟早 (chí zǎo, sooner or later) is also very common in daily speech.

Common words containing 迟 include: 迟到 (chí dào) — to be late; 迟早 (chí zǎo) — sooner or later; 推迟 (tuī chí) — to postpone / to delay.