How to Write 赅 (gāi) — Meaning “complete; comprehensive”

Imagine a shell (贝) that contains everything — it is so "full" of things that it is "comprehensive." The right side 亥 looks like a person stretching out arms, as if gathering all items to make a complete set. Visualize "gāi" as "gathering all items" to remember the meaning.

The left radical 贝 should be narrower than the right part 亥, and its last dot must align well with the 亥 component. In 亥, write the top two dots first, then a left-falling stroke, followed by a horizontal hook, another left-falling, and finally a vertical hook. A common mistake is making the vertical hook too short or writing the dots too close together.

赅 (gāi, comprehensive) has a right side 亥, while 责 (zé, duty) has a top 一 and a middle 由 above 贝, and 贤 (xián, virtuous) has a right side 臤 (臣+又). Visually, 赅's right side has a clear hook shape, whereas 责 has straight lines and 贤 has a complex right part. In usage, 赅 emphasizes completeness, 责 means responsibility, and 贤 means moral excellence.

赅 is mostly used in formal or literary contexts, especially in the idiom 言简意赅 (concise and comprehensive), which praises writing or speech that is brief but full of meaning. It also appears in words like 赅括 (to summarize) and 赅博 (extensive and profound). You will rarely see it in daily conversation, but it is valued in academic or artistic critiques.

Common words containing 赅 include: 言简意赅 (yán jiǎn yì gāi) — concise and comprehensive / brief but to the point; 赅括 (gāi kuò) — to summarize; to generalize; 赅博 (gāi bó) — extensive and profound.