How to Write 轘 (huán) — Meaning “ancient punishment of tearing apart by chariots”

Imagine a chariot (车) on the left, and on the right picture a person with their arms and legs stretched out like the shape of 睘. The chariot pulls the limbs in opposite directions, tearing the person apart. This visual links the character to its violent meaning.

With 20 strokes, 轘 is complex. The left radical 车 should be written narrow and slightly compressed. The right part 睘 has a top component similar to 罒 (net), then a short horizontal, and a bottom part with a curved stroke. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep it balanced with the left.

Common expressions include 轘裂 (huán liè) meaning to tear apart with chariots, and 轘刑 (huán xíng) referring to the ancient punishment. These terms appear only in historical or legal texts describing cruel methods of execution from ancient China.

轘 is extremely rare in modern Chinese and is not part of the HSK vocabulary. It is encountered almost exclusively in historical literature or discussions about ancient punishments. Most native speakers would recognize the character but never use it in daily life.

Common words containing 轘 include: 轘裂 (huán liè) — to tear apart using chariots; 轘刑 (huán xíng) — punishment of being torn apart by chariots; 轘辕 (huán yuán) — Huanyuan (a mountain pass or place name).