How to Write 翟 (dí) — Meaning “Zhai (a surname)”

Imagine a bird (隹) wearing fancy feathers (羽) on its head — this bird looks like a noble "Zhai." You can also think of "dí" sounding like "deer" and picture a deer with feathery antlers.

The top part 羽 has two identical sections: write each section as 习 (stroke order: 横折钩, 点, 提) and make them balanced. The bottom part 隹 has a long vertical stroke that should go straight down; do not make it too short or crooked. Common mistakes are writing the top 羽 too small or mixing up the order of strokes in the bottom 隹.

翟 has 羽 on top and 隹 (bird) on the bottom, while 翔 (xiáng) has 羽 on the left side and 羊 (sheep) on the right, meaning "soar." 翕 (xī) has 合 (close) on top and 羽 on the bottom, meaning "to close together" or "harmony." The key visual difference is the bottom element: in 翟 it is 隹, not 羊 or 合.

翟 is used exclusively as a surname (Zhai), never as a common noun or verb. You will see it in names like 翟先生 (Mr. Zhai) or 翟医生 (Dr. Zhai). Cultural note: The most famous modern bearer is Zhai Zhigang, the first Chinese astronaut to walk in space.

Common words containing 翟 include: 姓翟 (xìng dí) — Surname Zhai; 翟先生 (dí xiān shēng) — Mr. Zhai; 翟医生 (dí yī shēng) — Dr. Zhai.