How to Write 叱 (chì) — Meaning “to scold; to shout at”

Picture a mouth (口) yelling "Chi!" like a sharp command — the right side 匕 looks like a small knife or pointer being thrust forward. This visual of a mouth shouting with a pointed object helps you remember 叱 means to scold or shout at someone.

Write the left radical 口 as a small, narrow box — its top horizontal line should be slightly shorter than the bottom one. On the right, 匕 has only two strokes: first a left-falling stroke (piě), then a short horizontal curve ending with a hook — keep the right side compact so it doesn't widen past the mouth.

卟 (bǔ) is a rare character meaning to divine or consult, with 口 and 卜 (divination) — it looks like 叱 but uses 卜 instead of 匕. 口 alone just means mouth, while 叱 specifically conveys a scolding action through speech. Visually, 叱 has a diagonal stroke on the right (匕), whereas 卟 has a vertical stroke (卜).

叱 is most common in formal or literary contexts, appearing in words like 叱责 (to rebuke) and 怒叱 (to scold angrily). It is not used in casual daily conversation; instead, people more often use 骂 (mà) for scolding. The idiom 叱咤风云 (chì zhà fēng yún) means to command like a force of nature, showing 叱 can also imply powerful authority.

Common words containing 叱 include: 叱责 (chì zé) — to scold, to rebuke; 怒叱 (nù chì) — to scold angrily; to rebuke; 叱咤 (chì zhà) — to command, to shake.