How to Write 赐 (cì) — Meaning “to bestow; to grant (by a superior)”

Imagine a rich person (贝, shell/money) giving away a gift, which is 'easy' (易) for them to do because they are wealthy. So the character 赐 reminds you of a superior easily granting rewards to others.

The left side 贝 has 4 strokes (vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, left-falling stroke) and should be narrow. The right side 易 has 8 strokes; the top is a sun-like shape (日) and the bottom is 勿. A common mistake is making the 贝 too wide or forgetting the short horizontal stroke inside 贝.

赐 (cì) means 'to grant' and uses 贝 with 易. 賏 (yīng) is a very rare character meaning 'shells strung together' and has two 贝 side by side. 贼 (zéi) means 'thief' or 'to harm' and has 贝 with 则 (zé) on the right; its meaning is negative, unlike the positive bestowing meaning of 赐.

赐 is used in formal or polite contexts, such as 赐教 (cì jiào) meaning 'please give me your advice' and 赏赐 (shǎng cì) for official rewards. It reflects Chinese hierarchical culture where a superior (emperor, boss, or elder) grants favors, so it is not used between equals.

Common words containing 赐 include: 赐教 (cì jiào) — to give advice or instruction (polite); 赏赐 (shǎng cì) — to bestow; to grant a reward; 恩赐 (ēn cì) — gift.