How to Write 伄 (diào) — Meaning “To hang or dangle (archaic)”

Imagine a person (亻) standing under a dangling pendant (吊). The pendant hangs down from a hook, reminding you of the 'hanging' meaning. The shape of 吊 even looks like a small object hanging from a line.

Write the radical 亻 first (left-falling stroke then right-falling vertical), then the right part 吊: a short vertical stroke, a horizontal hook, and a small inside stroke. A common mistake is to confuse the right side with 卜 (divination) — make sure 吊 has a hook at the bottom and a top vertical line.

Visually, 伄 has 吊 on the right (with a hook and a mouth-like shape), while 什 has 十 (a cross) and 仁 has 二 (two horizontal lines). In meaning, 什 is used in words like '什么' (what), 仁 means benevolence, and 伄 is an archaic character for hanging or dangling.

伄 is rare in modern Chinese and mostly appears in classical texts or set phrases like 伄挂 (to hang up) or 伄然 (dangling). The character 吊 (same pronunciation) is much more common for 'hang' today. You may encounter 伄 in historical literature or calligraphy as a variant form.

Common words containing 伄 include: 伄挂 (diào guà) — To hang up; 伄然 (diào rán) — In a hanging or dangling state; 伄子 (diào zi) — A hanging object or pendant.