How to Write 泾 (jīng) — Meaning “Jing (name of a river)”

Picture a clear river (氵) flowing in a straight line like the warp threads of a loom (巠 means warp in weaving). The straight, parallel lines of 巠 help you remember the Jing River's distinct flow. This image also connects to the idiom 泾渭分明, where the Jing River stays clearly separate from the Wei River.

Write the water radical 氵 first with three dots: the top dot is slightly to the right, the middle dot lower, and the last dot a short stroke. The right side 巠 is written with a horizontal line on top, then a box shape (口), then a vertical line through the box, and a final horizontal line at the bottom. Keep the right side narrow and balanced with the left radical.

泾 has the right component 巠, while 㳄 has 欠 (meaning "owe" or "yawn") and 汊 has 叉 (meaning "fork"). 泾 specifically names a river, 㳄 is a rare character for saliva or overflow, and 汊 means a branch of a river. Visually, the bottom parts differ: 巠 has a vertical line through a box, 欠 looks like a person leaning, and 叉 looks like a cross with a dot.

泾 is mainly used in place names like 泾河 (Jing River) and 泾县 (Jing County in Anhui province). Its most common cultural use is in the idiom 泾渭分明, which compares the clear Jing River and the muddy Wei River to describe things that are clearly different. This idiom is often used to express sharp contrast or distinct boundaries.

Common words containing 泾 include: 泾渭分明 (jīng wèi fēn míng) — As different as the Jing and Wei rivers; clearly distinct.; 泾河 (jīng hé) — Jing River; 泾县 (jīng xiàn) — Jing County.