How to Write 夆 (féng) — Meaning “To meet / To resist (archaic)”

Picture a person with two legs (夂) walking toward a big, lush plant with three leaves (丰) — they meet. The legs represent movement, and the plant represents abundance, so the character looks like a "meeting" with nature. Alternatively, think of the top part as a pair of legs and the bottom as a crossroads (丰) where people meet.

Write the top radical 夂 first: dot, then horizontal stroke, then a curved stroke (like a hook or left-falling stroke). Then write 丰: three horizontal lines from top to bottom, and a vertical line through all three. A common mistake is mixing the stroke order of 夂 — remember it is dot, horizontal, then the curved stroke, not the other way. Also ensure the vertical line of 丰 is straight and centered.

Visually, 冬 (winter) has the same top radical 夂 but its bottom is two dots (冫), while 处 (place) has bottom 卜 (a small vertical and a dot). In contrast, 夆 has three horizontal lines (丰) at the bottom. In meaning, 夆 means 'to meet' or 'to resist', 冬 is the season winter, and 处 means 'place' or 'to handle'. Remember: three lines for meeting, two dots for winter, and a dot with a line for place.

Today, 夆 is rarely used alone in everyday Chinese; it appears mostly in literary or classical texts, compound words like 夆集 (to gather) and 夆起 (to emerge), or as a surname (Féng). Understanding it helps when reading older documents or poetry, where it conveys a sense of abundant meeting or rising up. It is not in the HSK list, so learners may only encounter it in advanced or specialized study.

Common words containing 夆 include: 夆集 (féng jí) — To gather / To assemble; 夆起 (féng qǐ) — To rise up / To emerge; 夆夆 (féng féng) — Appearance of plants growing / Resisting.