How to Write 嶡 (guì) — Meaning “high and steep”

Imagine a mountain (山) so steep that you feel dizzy and almost faint (厥) looking up at it. The right part 厥 contains 厂 (cliff) and 欠 (yawn/blow), reinforcing the idea of a towering cliff that takes your breath away.

Start by writing the left radical 山 (3 strokes), then write the right side 厥, which has 12 strokes. Pay attention to the lower part of 厥: it contains 欠 (4 strokes) with the last stroke slightly extended, and do not confuse the upper part 厂 with a different enclosure. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider.

嶡 (guì) means 'high and steep' and is used in place names like 嶡山. 嵊 (shèng) is a place name, specifically Shengxian in Zhejiang province, and has no relation to steepness. 嵞 (tú) refers to Mount Tu (or a variant of 塗), and is used in ancient place names, not for describing steep terrain.

嶡 is very rare in daily conversation and mainly appears in classical texts or geographical names, such as 嶡山 (Guì Shān), a mountain in Shandong province. It is not part of the HSK vocabulary, so learners only need to recognize it when reading place names or historical descriptions of steep landscapes.

Common words containing 嶡 include: 嶡山 (guì shān) — Jueshan Mountain; 嶡突 (guì tū) — towering; rising abruptly; 嶡然 (guì rán) — towering; high and steep.