How to Write 氐 (dī) — Meaning “Di (ancient ethnic group)”

Picture a family (氏) standing on a flat ground (the bottom line). Think of it as 'the people of the Di tribe standing on their homeland.' This image helps you recall the short bottom stroke under the familiar 氏 component.

Pay special attention to the bottom stroke: it is a short horizontal line, not a long one, and it sits directly under the center of 氏. Do not extend it to the left or right like a full 一; keep it short. The top part 氏 must be written with its own dot and left-falling stroke clearly.

氐 (dī) adds a short bottom stroke to 氏 (shì, clan) and means the Di ethnic group. 氏 (shì) by itself means 'clan' or 'family name.' 民 (mín) means 'people' or 'citizens' and has a different right-side hook stroke. Visually, 氐 has a flat bottom line, while 民 ends with a curved hook.

You will most often see 氐 in historical texts when discussing the ancient Di people, such as in 氐族 (dī zú). It also appears in some compound words like 根氐 (gēn dī) meaning 'foundation' or 'root.' Outside of history and certain fixed expressions, it is rarely used in everyday Chinese.

Common words containing 氐 include: 氐族 (dī zú) — the Di people; 氐首 (dī shǒu) — to bow one's head; 根氐 (gēn dī) — Root; Foundation.