How to Write 迦 (jiā) — Meaning “(Phonetic used in transliterations)”

Imagine a person walking (辶) while adding (加) sound to a foreign name - "walking and adding" helps you recall that 迦 is used for transliteration. Alternatively, think of "Canaan" (迦南) as a land you walk to, and the "add" sound reminds you of the phonetic purpose.

Write the outside component 辶 first (dot, left-falling, horizontal bend, vertical), then the inner part 加: left horizontal hook, left-falling, horizontal, vertical, square. A common mistake is making the 辶 too small or the 加 too wide; the 辶 should gently enclose the right side, and the 加's bottom horizontal should align with the bottom of the 辶.

巡 (xún, patrol) uses 辶 with 巛 (three dots), meaning to walk around inspecting; 达 (dá, reach) uses 辶 with 大 (big), meaning to arrive. In contrast, 迦 (jiā) is purely phonetic and has no independent meaning, appearing only in transliterations like 释迦 (Shakya) or 迦南 (Canaan). Visually, note that 迦 has the extra radical 口 in 加, while 巡 has three short strokes and 达 has 大.

迦 appears almost exclusively in transliterations of foreign names, such as 迦南 (Canaan, the biblical region), 释迦 (Shakya, clan name of the Buddha; also the fruit sugar apple), and 迦太基 (Carthage, ancient city). Culturally, 释迦 is a common short form for 释迦牟尼 (Shakyamuni, the Buddha), so you may see this character in Buddhist texts.

Common words containing 迦 include: 迦南 (jiā nán) — Canaan; 释迦 (shì jiā) — Shakya (clan name); sugar apple (fruit); 迦太基 (jiā tài jī) — Carthage.