How to Write 提 (dī/tí) — Meaning “To carry, lift, or mention”

Picture using your hand (扌) to lift a box that has the word '是' (shì, meaning 'yes') written on it – you are lifting it up to say 'yes' to the task. Another trick: imagine your hand lifting a sun (日) with a straight line (正) underneath, representing raising something high.

Start with the hand radical: horizontal stroke, then vertical hook, then a small upward flick (tí). Then write 是: first the top horizontal, then 日 (four strokes), then the bottom two strokes (horizontal, then a left-falling and a right-falling stroke). A common mistake is making the right side too tall – keep the whole character balanced and the hand radical slightly narrower than 是.

挨 (āi) has the right side 矣 and means to endure or lean on, while 挫 (cuò) has 坐 and means to defeat or frustrate. Visually, the right side of 提 is 是 (with a clear 日 component), which is different from the 矢 (arrow) in 挨 or the 坐 (two people sitting) in 挫. In usage, 提 is about lifting or mentioning, not suffering or crushing.

提 appears in everyday words like 提高 (tí gāo, to improve), 提醒 (tí xǐng, to remind), and 提防 (dī fáng, to beware of). You often hear it in work settings when 'raising' a suggestion (提意见) or 'bringing up' a question (提问题). Note the special pronunciation dī in 提防 – it's the only common word where 提 is read as dī instead of tí.

Common words containing 提 include: 提高 (tí gāo) — To improve or increase; 提醒 (tí xǐng) — To remind; 提防 (dī fáng) — To be on guard against / To beware of.