How to Write 逗 (dòu) — Meaning “To tease / To stay / Amusing”

Imagine a person walking (辶) and then stopping to play with a bean (豆) on the ground — that is a funny way to "tease" someone. The bean makes them "linger" because they find it amusing. This connects all three meanings: to tease, to stay, and amusing.

The radical 辶 should be written with the horizontal stroke first, then the zigzag, and finally the long sweeping stroke that carries the 豆 inside. Make sure the 豆 is centered and not too large, with the bottom of 辶 extending slightly below it. A common mistake is making the 辶 too short, so it does not properly enclose the 豆.

迢 (tiáo) means "far" and has a different right component (召), while 迤 (yǐ) means "winding" and uses 也. In contrast, 逗 with 豆 specifically means "to tease" or "to stay." Visually, 逗 has a much wider right side than the narrow strokes of 迢 and 迤, and its meanings are more playful and stationary.

逗 is very common in everyday speech as a verb meaning "to tease" (e.g., 逗孩子玩 dòu háizi wán, "to play with a child") and as an adjective meaning "funny" (e.g., 真逗 zhēn dòu, "so funny"). It also appears in the word 逗号 (comma), indicating a pause — connecting back to the idea of "staying" briefly. In Chinese culture, 逗 is often used lightheartedly in social interactions to show friendliness.

Common words containing 逗 include: 逗号 (dòu hào) — Comma; 逗人 (dòu rén) — Amusing / Funny; 逗留 (dòu liú) — To stay / To linger.