How to Write 丌 (jī) — Meaning “table; pedestal (archaic)”

Picture a one-legged table (the 一 on top) but with two feet drawn below, like a tiny stool. The three strokes look like a simple sketch of a pedestal, making it easy to recall its meaning.

Write the top horizontal stroke first, long and flat. Then add two short, slightly angled downward strokes, one left and one right, making sure they are symmetrical and don't cross the top line.

一 is just a single horizontal line with no legs, while 丌 has two downward strokes. 丁 has one vertical stroke coming down from the center of the horizontal, but 丌 has two separate angled strokes.

丌 is archaic and rarely used in modern Chinese, but it appears in the radical name 丌部 (jī bù) and in ancient terms like 丌下 (under the table). It is mainly seen in classical texts or as a structural component in other characters.

Common words containing 丌 include: 丌部 (jī bù) — the 'Qi' radical (Radical 55); 丌下 (jī xià) — under the table (archaic); 丌其 (jī qí) — Qiqi (an ancient term).