How to Write 咢 (è) — Meaning “to beat a drum; to startle”

Imagine a drum (口 as the drumhead) with two hands (the top strokes resembling hands) beating it, creating a startling sound. The shape looks like a person with open arms saying "Ah!" (è) in surprise, connecting to the meaning of being startled.

The top part has two horizontal strokes with a vertical stroke through them, and a small 口 inside; make sure the inner 口 is centered and not too large. The bottom 口 should be wider and flatter than the top structure, keeping the overall character balanced and compact.

君 (jūn) means 'ruler' or 'lord' and has a 口 on top with a 尹 below, while 吝 (lìn) means 'stingy' and has a 文 on top with 口 below. Unlike these, 咢 has a unique top component (not 尹 or 文) and specifically relates to sound or surprise, not authority or stinginess.

咢 is rare in daily speech but appears in literary or classical contexts, like in the word 咢然 (è rán, startled) to describe a shocked reaction. It is also found in formal idioms or historical texts, so learners may encounter it in advanced reading rather than conversation.

Common words containing 咢 include: 咢咢 (è è) — outspoken; honest; 咢然 (è rán) — startled; amazed; 蹇咢 (jiǎn è) — Outspoken and upright (literary).