How to Write 岿 (kuī) — Meaning “Kui (towering / high)”

Imagine a mountain (山) with a huge, solid '归' (a simplified form of 歸) on top, like a massive stone pedestal that never moves. Picture the 归 as a tall, straight pillar that makes the mountain look even higher and unshakable — that's 岿, 'towering'.

Write the top radical 山 first with three strokes: vertical, left vertical, then right vertical and bottom horizontal. The bottom part 归 has seven strokes: start with the left vertical, then the horizontal and vertical hooks, and finish with the horizontal strokes in the middle — make sure the bottom part is slightly wider than the mountain top to keep the character balanced. A common mistake is making the bottom too narrow, which makes the character look unstable.

岿 (kuī) means 'towering and firm', often used in phrases like 岿然不动 (standing unshakable). 屹 (yì) also means 'towering' but emphasizes 'standing erect' (e.g., 屹立). 屺 (qǐ) is a rare character meaning 'a mountain without grass' and is not used in common vocabulary. Visually, 岿 has the bottom part 归, 屹 has 乞, and 屺 has 己 — so the bottom radicals are different.

Common words containing 岿 include: 岿然 (kuī rán) — Towering / Standing firm; 岿然不动 (kuī rán bù dòng) — Standing firm and unshakable; 岿巍 (kuī wēi) — Lofty and towering.