How to Write 蹇 (jiǎn) — Meaning “Lame; unfortunate; difficult”

Imagine a foot (足) stuck in ice (寒). The foot becomes lame and cannot move easily because it is frozen, which reminds you of the meanings 'lame' and 'difficult'.

Write the top radical 足 first (7 strokes), then the bottom part 寒 (10 strokes). Keep the bottom part compact and balanced below the foot. A common mistake is making the two ice dots (冫) in 寒 look like a different component.

蹇 has 寒 (cold) under the foot radical, while 踏 has 沓 (repetition) and means 'to step on'. 䠀 is very rare and almost never used. Focusing on the bottom part helps you distinguish them.

蹇 is not common in daily speech but appears in literary phrases like 命运多蹇 (ill-fated) and 蹇涩 (jerky writing or speech). It carries a formal, classical tone and is typically learned through idioms or traditional texts.

Common words containing 蹇 include: 命运多蹇 (mìng yùn duō jiǎn) — ill-fated; full of misfortunes; 蹇滞 (jiǎn zhì) — Sluggish; obstructed; difficult; 蹇涩 (jiǎn sè) — Jerky; not smooth (of writing or speech).