How to Write 犄 (jī) — Meaning “horn; corner”

Picture an ox (牛) with a strange (奇) horn growing from its head at a weird angle. The '奇' part reminds you that this horn is unusual, and together they form the idea of a horn or a corner.

The left radical 牛 has four strokes, ending with a short upward hook, not a long horizontal line. On the right, 奇 starts with a big '大' shape and then a '可' below — be careful not to add extra strokes or connect them incorrectly. Also keep the overall character balanced so the right side is slightly wider than the left.

牸 (zì) means 'female cow' and uses the same radical 牛 but with a 子 (child) component, while 特 (tè) means 'special' or 'unique' and uses 寺. In contrast, 犄 specifically refers to a horn or a sharp corner — it is not about gender or specialness, but about a pointed projection.

You will see 犄 most often in the word 犄角 (jī jiǎo), meaning a horn or a corner, and in the common phrase 犄角旮旯 (jī jiǎo gā lá), which means 'every nook and cranny' or 'all the small hidden corners'. It is not a high-frequency character but appears in everyday talk about physical corners, especially in older or regional spoken Chinese.

Common words containing 犄 include: 犄角 (jī jiǎo) — horn; corner; 犄角旮旯 (jī jiǎo gā lá) — nooks and crannies; every corner; 羊犄角 (yáng jī jiǎo) — Sheep horns.