How to Write 侈 (chǐ) — Meaning “extravagant; wasteful; excessive”

Imagine a person (亻) who has so many (多) possessions that they become wasteful. Picture someone surrounded by piles of luxury items, spending money carelessly. The many items remind you that 侈 means extravagant or excessive.

Write the left radical 亻 as a tall, narrow shape, then the right side 多 with two 夕 stacked: top 夕 slightly smaller, bottom 夕 wider. A common mistake is making the two 夕 halves too similar in size — the top should be compact and the bottom more open. Also, ensure the left stroke of 亻 does not cross into the right side.

侈 means extravagant (person + many), while 仰(yǎng) means to look up or admire (person + a kneeling figure). 仲(zhòng) means middle or second in rank (person + middle). Visually, 侈 has a right side with two 夕, 仰 has a right side resembling a kneeling person (卩 and a dot), and 仲 has a central 中. Their meanings are completely unrelated.

侈 mainly appears in formal or written contexts, especially in the word 奢侈(shēchǐ) meaning luxurious or wasteful. The term 奢侈品(shēchǐpǐn) refers to luxury goods like designer bags or watches. In Chinese culture, 侈 often carries a negative connotation, criticizing excessive spending or opulence, especially in contrast to traditional values of frugality (节俭).

Common words containing 侈 include: 奢侈 (shē chǐ) — luxurious; extravagant; 奢侈品 (shē chǐ pǐn) — luxury goods; 侈谈 (chǐ tán) — to talk big; to speak extravagantly about.