How to Write 嘅 (kǎi) — Meaning “To sigh; to lament.”

Picture the left side 口 as a mouth, and the right side 既 as the word 'already.' So you can think: "You already know the result, so you open your mouth to sigh." This helps link the shape to the meaning of lamenting.

The left 口 should be small and placed in the upper-left area. On the right, 既 has a specific stroke order: first a horizontal stroke, then the 艮 component, ending with a hook—do not confuse it with 即 (jí). The total stroke count is 12.

嘅 has a mouth radical on the left and means 'to sigh,' while 哥 (gē) means 'elder brother' and consists of two 可 stacked with no mouth radical. 㕡 is a rare character with different pronunciation and meaning; it lacks the 既 component on the right, so focus on the left 口 to identify 嘅.

嘅 is a classical or literary character, not used in everyday speech. It appears in set phrases like 嘅叹 (kǎi tàn, to sigh with regret) and is interchangeable with the more common 慨 (kǎi). You will mostly encounter it in poetry or formal writing to express deep emotion or lament.

Common words containing 嘅 include: 嘅叹 (kǎi tàn) — To sigh with regret; to lament.; 嘅然 (kǎi rán) — Sighing; lamenting.; 嘅叹不已 (kǎi tàn bù yǐ) — To sigh incessantly; to lament endlessly..