How to Write 麾 (huī) — Meaning “command / signal flag”

Imagine a general waving a hemp (麻) flag with long fur (毛) tassels to signal his army. The motion of the flag says "huī" – picture the commander shouting "Huī!" as he sends troops forward under his command.

The upper part 麻 has a wide horizontal stroke covering the lower 毛, so ensure the 麻 stretches left and right. A common mistake is making the 毛 too tall – keep it compact under the 麻, and note the left side of 麻 has an extra dot (丶).

麾 has 毛 under 麻 and means a command flag, while 麽 (me) uses 么 below and is a question particle in classical Chinese. 麿 (maro) uses 石 under 麻 and is a rare variant for a millstone. Their meanings and bottom components are completely different.

Today 麾 appears mostly in formal or historical contexts, especially in the term 麾下 (under one's command), used to respectfully address a military leader. It is also found in literary descriptions of commanding armies, but it is not common in everyday speech.

Common words containing 麾 include: 麾下 (huī xià) — under one's command; 麾军 (huī jūn) — to command an army; 麾指 (huī zhǐ) — to direct / to command.