How to Write 侩 (kuài) — Meaning “Broker / Middleman (often derogatory)”

Imagine a person (亻) standing at a meeting (会) where two sides are trying to agree on a price. The person in the middle is the broker who helps them 'meet' — that is a 侩 (kuài). The sound 'kuài' can remind you of 'quick', as a broker needs to make deals quickly.

Start with the left radical 亻: first the left-slanting stroke (丿), then the vertical stroke (丨). Next write the right side 会: top part 人 (open downwards), then the middle 一 (horizontal line), then the outline 冖, and finally the bottom 云 (two horizontal lines and a curved hook). A common mistake is writing the bottom of 会 as 云 with a dot instead of a curved hook — the last stroke should be a curved stroke (乛) like in 云.

仰 (yǎng) means 'to look up' or 'to admire' and has the radical 亻 plus 卬 (a kneeling person). 仲 (zhòng) means 'second' or 'middle' (as in 仲兄 'second elder brother') and has 亻 plus 中. Visually, 侩 has the right component 会, while 仰 has 卬 and 仲 has 中 in the same position. In meaning, only 侩 relates to the role of a broker or middleman, often with a negative tone.

侩 is most common in the word 市侩 (shì kuài), which describes a calculating, money-grubbing merchant or philistine. It is also used in 市侩气 (shì kuài qì), meaning a mercenary attitude. In Chinese culture, calling someone 市侩 is a strong criticism, implying they value profit above all else and lack refinement. The word 牙侩 (yá kuài) is a more neutral, historical term for a trade broker but is rarely used today.

Common words containing 侩 include: 市侩 (shì kuài) — philistine / mercenary / unscrupulous merchant; 市侩气 (shì kuài qì) — philistinism / mercenary attitude; 牙侩 (yá kuài) — Middleman / Broker.