How to Write 急 (jí) — Meaning “urgent; hurried”

Imagine a person's heart (心) is beating very fast because they are in a hurry — the shape of the top part 刍 looks like a person running with bent legs. You can think of the sound "jí" like the English word "gee" (as in "gee, I'm late!") to link the pronunciation to the urgent feeling.

The stroke order is: top 刍 (5 strokes: 撇, 横撇, 撇, 横折, 横) then bottom 心 (4 strokes: 点, 斜钩, 点, 点). A common mistake is writing the bottom 心's hook (斜钩) too straight — it should curve smoothly like a bent arm. Also, make sure the top part is narrow and the bottom part is wider to keep the character balanced.

急 has a top part 刍 (looks like a bent grass or a person running), while 忌 has 己 (like a snake or a coiled shape) and 忍 has 刃 (a blade). In meaning, 急 means urgent or anxious, 忌 means to avoid or be jealous, and 忍 means to endure. For example, 着急 (anxious) uses 急, 忌妒 (jealous) uses 忌, and 忍耐 (to endure) uses 忍.

急 is very common in daily life, like in 着急 (worried or in a hurry) and 紧急 (emergency). Culturally, the heart radical emphasizes that being in a hurry is an emotional state, not just a physical speed. In Chinese expressions, using 急 often implies a feeling of stress or anxiety, so it's polite to say "别急" (bié jí, don't be anxious) to calm someone down.

Common words containing 急 include: 着急 (zháo jí) — Anxious; worried; in a hurry.; 紧急 (jǐn jí) — urgent, emergency; 急忙 (jí máng) — in a hurry; hastily.