How to Write 棘 (jí) — Meaning “thorns; brambles”

Picture two trees (木) each with a thorny branch (朿) growing side by side. Since the character has two identical halves stacked, remember: "Double trees, double thorns = 棘." This mirrors the meaning of thorns or prickly bushes.

Write the left half first (朿 over 木), then the right half. The left 朿 is narrower, and the right 朿 is slightly wider — keep both halves balanced. A common mistake is making the upper thorns (朿) too wide, which makes the overall character look squashed.

棘 has two thorns (朿) stacked vertically, meaning "thorns" or "prickly." 柴 (chái) has 此 (this) over 木 and means "firewood." 栓 (shuān) has 木 and 全 (complete) and means "a bolt or plug." Focus on the upper component: 朿 (thorn) vs. 此 (this) vs. 全 (whole).

棘 appears in the common word 棘手 (jíshǒu), meaning "thorny" or "troublesome" as in a tricky problem. It also forms 荆棘 (jīngjí), which can symbolize hardships or obstacles in literature. For example, "披荆斩棘" (pī jīng zhǎn jí) means "to blaze a trail through brambles," used to describe overcoming difficulties.

Common words containing 棘 include: 棘手 (jí shǒu) — thorny; troublesome; tricky; 荆棘 (jīng jí) — thorns / brambles; 棘刺 (jí cì) — thorns; spines.