How to Write 卉 (huì) — Meaning “plants; vegetation”

Picture the top part 十 as a flower with ten petals, and the bottom part as two leaves or stems sticking out. Imagine saying 'Hoo-ee!' when you see a beautiful plant — the sound helps you recall the pinyin huì.

Write the top horizontal stroke first, then the vertical stroke through the middle to form 十. Next, write the left vertical stroke downward, then the right vertical stroke — both slightly curving out. A common mistake is making the bottom two strokes too short or too straight; they should extend slightly below the top cross.

千 (qiān, 'thousand') has a vertical stroke through a horizontal stroke and a slanting bottom stroke, while 卉 has two separate vertical strokes at the bottom. 卄 (niàn, 'twenty') looks like two horizontal lines crossed by a vertical, but 卉 has a cross on top and two verticals below, not crossing the top line.

卉 is most common in the word 花卉 (huāhuì) for 'flowers and plants,' used in gardening, art, and formal descriptions. It appears in literary or botanical contexts rather than everyday speech, and you might see it in names of parks or exhibitions like 花卉展 (flower show).

Common words containing 卉 include: 花卉 (huā huì) — Flowers and plants; 卉木 (huì mù) — plants and trees; 奇卉 (qí huì) — rare plants or flowers.