How to Write 廑 (jǐn) — Meaning “hut, diligent, or barely”

Imagine a tiny hut (广) with a very diligent person (堇) working inside, but the hut is so small they can barely move. This visual connects the three meanings of "hut", "diligent", and "barely" into one memorable picture.

Start with the radical 广 (dot, horizontal, left-falling) and make the left-falling stroke long enough to cover part of the bottom component. In 堇, write the vertical stroke straight down through the top cross, and keep the two horizontal strokes short so the whole character stays compact.

All three share the radical 广, but their lower parts differ: 廑 has 堇 (a vertical line with two horizontals), 廉 has 兼 (a wider structure with two halves), and 廒 has 敖 (with a left-side component). Meaning-wise, 廑 relates to huts and diligence, while 廉 means honest or cheap, and 廒 means a granary.

廑 is rare in everyday conversation but appears in formal or classical writing, such as in the phrases 廑念 (deep concern) and 廑劳 (hardworking). It carries a respectful tone, often used in letters to express admiration for someone's effort or in literary works referencing old meanings like "barely". It is not part of the HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 廑 include: 廑念 (jǐn niàn) — deeply concerned or thinking of; 廑怀 (jǐn huái) — to be concerned about; 廑劳 (jǐn láo) — hardworking or diligent.