How to Write 戥 (děng) — Meaning “A small steelyard for weighing precision items.”

Imagine a tiny scale (戥) used by a pharmacist to weigh precious gold dust – the left part 戈 looks like a small hook holding the pan, and the right part 戉 looks like a sliding weight. Picture the scale balancing exactly at 'deng' level to recall the sound děng.

Pay attention to the stroke order: first write the left side 戈 (4 strokes: horizontal, left-falling, dot, left-falling hook), then the right side 戉 (9 strokes). The most common mistake is making the left 戈 too wide; it should be narrow so the whole character stays balanced. The right component 戉 has a long horizontal stroke under the dots that must extend slightly beyond the left side.

戥 is pronounced děng and means a small steelyard for weighing, while 戚 (qī) means relative or sorrow, and 戛 (jiá) means to knock or a kind of lance. Visually, 戥 has 戈 on the left and 戉 on the right, but 戚 has 戈 under 尗 (or a similar top), and 戛 has 戈 over 百. Their meanings and readings are completely different, so context helps distinguish them.

戥 is rarely used in daily conversation today, but it appears in traditional contexts like describing antique medicine or gold scales (戥子). You might also see it in historical novels or when discussing traditional Chinese pharmacy equipment. For most learners, recognizing 戥 in written texts is more important than using it actively.

Common words containing 戥 include: 戥子 (děng zi) — A small steelyard (used for medicine or precious metals).; 戥秤 (děng chèng) — A small precision scale or steelyard.; 戥金 (děng jīn) — To weigh gold with a small steelyard..