How to Write 迥 (jiǒng) — Meaning “distant / very different”

Picture a person (辶) walking a huge distance across a wide open field (冋) to reach a place that looks totally different. The two horizontal lines in 冋 can remind you of the distant horizon, emphasizing the meaning of "very different" or "far away."

The radical 辶 is written first with three strokes: dot, then the curved stroke (like an L), then the final horizontal sweep. The inner part 冋 (7 strokes) is drawn inside the envelope of 辶; it must not extend below the bottom of the radical. A common mistake is making the inner part too narrow or leaving too much space between the inner box and the 辶's right side.

迥 uses the radical 辶 and means "distant" or "vastly different" (e.g., 迥然不同). 巡 also has 辶 but a different inner part (巛), meaning "to patrol" or "to circle." 达 has 辶 with 大 inside, meaning "to reach" or "to achieve" — visually, 迥's inner 冋 looks like a rectangular opening, while 巡 has three short lines and 达 has a large cross.

迥 is not common in everyday speech but appears in formal or written Chinese, especially in the set phrases 迥然 (utterly different) and 迥异 (vastly different). It often emphasizes a stark contrast, for example, comparing two styles, opinions, or landscapes. Culturally, it conveys a sense of distinct separation, much like the English expression "worlds apart."

Common words containing 迥 include: 迥然 (jiǒng rán) — utterly / widely (different); 迥异 (jiǒng yì) — vastly different; 迥不相同 (jiǒng bù xiāng tóng) — totally different.