How to Write 警 (jǐng) — Meaning “to warn; alert; police”

Picture a police officer saying "敬敬" (be respectful!) with their 言 (words) to give a 警告 (warning). Imagine the officer bowing politely while telling you to stop, combining respect and speech into the idea of an alert.

The top part 敬 has 12 strokes and must be written compactly, with the left side (苟) slightly narrower than the right (攵). The bottom 言 should be centered and not too wide; a common mistake is making the top too tall or the bottom 言 too large, upsetting balance.

警 means warning or police, while 謇 (jiǎn) means stuttering or speaking with difficulty. Visually, 警 uses 敬 (respect) on top, but 謇 uses 寒 (cold) with 言 on the bottom. They share the 言 radical but have completely different meanings and pronunciations.

You see 警 in 警察 (police officer) and 报警 (call the police), commonly used in everyday life. In China, you might see 警车 (police car) or hear someone say 警告 (warning) in serious situations. It is a formal but frequently used character for safety and law enforcement.

Common words containing 警 include: 警察 (jǐng chá) — police; police officer; 警告 (jǐng gào) — to warn; a warning; 报警 (bào jǐng) — to report to the police; to call the police.