How to Write 颃 (háng) — Meaning “To fly down”

Imagine a bird flying downward with its head (页) held high and straight, like the shape of 亢 on the left. The left part 亢 looks like a bird's neck stretching forward as it dives. Think of 颃 as "head down" — the head (页) going down with a straight neck (亢).

The left part 亢 must be written narrow so the right part 页 has enough space. A common mistake is making the curved hook of 亢 too long, which unbalances the character. Also, remember that 颃 has 10 strokes total: 4 on the left (亢) and 6 on the right (页).

Visually, 颃 has the left component 亢 (with a curved hook), while 顶 has 丁 (a simple horizontal and hook) and 顷 has 匕 (a short horizontal and a vertical bend). Meaning-wise, 顶 means "top" or "summit", and 顷 means "a moment" or "a unit of land", but 颃 is used only in literary compounds about flying or competing. For example, 颉颃 means "to fly up and down" or "to be equally matched".

颃 is not a common standalone character in daily speech; it appears mostly in the classical compound 颉颃 (xié háng). This term can describe birds flying up and down, or metaphorically refer to two rivals being evenly matched in skill or status. You may encounter it in literature, poetry, or formal writing, but never in casual conversation.

Common words containing 颃 include: 颉颃 (xié háng) — to fly up and down / to compete / to be equally matched; 颃颉 (háng jié) — To fly up and down / To contend.