How to Write 狷 (juàn) — Meaning “upright / cautious”

Picture a small dog (犭) standing carefully on a round ball (肙 looks like a round shape). The dog stays very still and upright to avoid falling, reminding you of 狷's meaning 'cautious and upright'.

Start with the left radical 犭: dot, stroke, then a left-falling hook with a small kick. Then write the right side 肙: first the top 口 (3 strokes), then the bottom part like 月 (4 strokes) – keep the two horizontal strokes inside parallel. A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide.

狉 has the right component 丕 (pī), not 肙, so the bottom part looks like a 不 under a line. 狊 has a completely different right side (目 over 犬) and is very rare. Visually, 狷's right part has a clear top 口 and a bottom with two inner horizontal lines, while 狉's right has a flat top and a different bottom.

狷 is a literary character found mostly in written or formal language, such as in words like 狷介 (upright and aloof) or 狂狷 (arrogant and cautious). It is not common in daily speech but appears in classical texts and personality descriptions, often carrying a slightly negative or mixed tone about someone who is too rigid.

Common words containing 狷 include: 狷介 (juàn jiè) — upright and aloof; 狷急 (juàn jí) — impatient and narrow-minded; 狂狷 (kuáng juàn) — Arrogant and cautious (eccentric)..