How to Write 兑 (duì) — Meaning “to exchange, to convert”

Imagine you have eight (丷) coins in your mouth (口) and you walk (儿) to the bank to exchange them for a bill. The action of walking with coins in your mouth helps you remember that 兑 means 'to exchange'.

The top strokes (丷) are two separate marks: a dot and a left-falling stroke, not connected like 八. The middle 口 should be narrow and centered, and the bottom 儿 ends with a curved hook. A common mistake is to write the top part as two connected strokes or to make the 口 too wide.

兄 (xiōng) means 'elder brother' and has only 口 on top of 儿, missing the extra 丷. 充 (chōng) means 'to fill' and has a dot and horizontal line (亠) above 允. Visually, 兑 has two marks above 口, while 兄 has none and 充 has a different top structure.

兑 is common in financial terms like 兑换 (exchange currency) and 兑现 (cash a check or fulfill a promise). It is used in formal or written contexts, not in everyday conversation, and carries a sense of completing an exchange or promise.

Common words containing 兑 include: 兑换 (duì huàn) — to exchange, to convert; 兑现 (duì xiàn) — to cash (a check), to fulfill (a promise); 汇兑 (huì duì) — remittance / exchange.