How to Write 斥 (chì) — Meaning “To scold / To repel”

Imagine someone holding an axe (斤) and shouting 'Chì!' to scare away an intruder. The axe represents the force, and the sharp downward stroke on the right is like a scolding finger pointing at you. This visual of a threatening scold with an axe makes the sound and meaning easy to recall.

The first stroke is a left-falling slash (丿) from the top of the left side, followed by a horizontal and a vertical for the 斤 part. Be careful not to add an extra dot or hook on the right side—the final stroke is a simple downward right-falling slash (捺) that extends slightly below the bottom of the left part. A common mistake is writing the right side too big or adding an extra horizontal line.

斤 (jīn) is a radical meaning 'axe' or 'catty' (a unit of weight), and it stands alone as a noun. 斥 (chì) adds a right-side downward stroke and is a verb meaning 'to scold' or 'to repel'. Visually, 斤 has no stroke extending to the right, while 斥 has a clear right-leaning stroke after the vertical line.

斥 appears in formal or written Chinese, often in words like 斥责 (to reprimand) and 排斥 (to exclude). You might see it in news articles about political criticism (驳斥, to refute) or in academic contexts. It is not used in casual conversation, so learners should recognize it for reading rather than speaking.

Common words containing 斥 include: 斥责 (chì zé) — To reprimand / To rebuke; 排斥 (pái chì) — to exclude or repel; 驳斥 (bó chì) — To refute; to denounce.