How to Write 呙 (guō) — Meaning “slanted / crooked (rarely used alone)”

Imagine a mouth (口) that is bent out of shape — the bottom part 冎 looks like a twisted jaw or a crooked line. This visual helps you recall that 呙 means slanted or crooked.

The top 口 should be narrow and centered, while the bottom 冎 has a left-falling stroke and a hook. A common mistake is writing the bottom part like 内 (inside) instead of the correct 冎 shape.

卟 has 口 and 卜 (divination) and is used for sounds, while 古 has 十 and 口 meaning ancient. Visually, 呙 has a unique bottom component 冎 that looks like a curved line, unlike the flat bottom of 古 or the 卜 in 卟.

呙 is rarely used alone; it mainly appears in the surname 呙 (Guō) or in words like 歪呙 (wāi guō) meaning a crooked mouth or face. It is a very uncommon character, so you will mostly encounter it in names or old literature.

Common words containing 呙 include: 姓呙 (xìng guō) — surnamed Guo; 歪呙 (wāi guō) — Crooked (mouth or face); 呙斜 (guō xié) — slanted / crooked (usually of the mouth).