How to Write 砥 (dǐ) — Meaning “Whetstone”

Imagine a sharpening stone (石) placed on a solid, level base (氐) to grind a knife. Picture the knifepoint (dǐ) being pressed down hard against the stone to become sharp. This image links the stone (石) and the base (氐) to the action of sharpening.

Note that the left radical 石 is narrower and sits higher, while the right part 氐 is wider and extends lower. The stroke order for 氐 starts with a left-falling stroke, then horizontal, then a short horizontal, then left-falling, and finally a dot. A common mistake is making the 石 too wide or the right part too narrow, disrupting balance.

砥 (dǐ) means whetstone or to sharpen, while 矸 (gān) is a rock or ore, often used in compound 矸石 for waste rock. 矻 (kū) is rarely used alone and appears in 矻矻 (kū kū), meaning diligent and hardworking. Visually, 砥 has 氐 on the right, 矸 has 干 (stem), and 矻 has 乞 (beg).

砥 appears in the idiom 砥柱中流 (dǐ zhù zhōng liú), meaning a pillar in the middle of a river, symbolizing a firm mainstay or stabilizer. It is also in 砥砺前行 (dǐ lì qián xíng), meaning to forge ahead through tempering. These phrases are used in formal writing and speeches to describe resilience and perseverance.

Common words containing 砥 include: 砥柱 (dǐ zhù) — Mainstay / Pillar; 砥砺 (dǐ lì) — To temper / To sharpen; 砥石 (dǐ shí) — Whetstone.