How to Write 馗 (kuí) — Meaning “cheekbone or road”

Imagine a head (首) with nine (九) cheekbones sticking out, making it look very fierce. This relates to the mythological figure Zhong Kui, who is often depicted with a strong, angular face.

The top part 首 should be written wide and balanced, covering the bottom part 九. A common mistake is to write the bottom 九 too large or off-center, making the character look unbalanced. Remember that 九 has two strokes: a left-falling stroke and a horizontal turning hook.

馗 contains 首 as its top radical, but has an extra bottom part 九. While 首 means 'head' or 'first', 馗 means 'cheekbone' or 'road' and is mainly used in the name 钟馗. Visually, 馗 is taller because of the added component.

馗 is rarely used alone; it appears mostly in the name 钟馗, a famous ghost-catching deity in Chinese mythology. You might also see it in the literary word 馗道 (thoroughfare) or in reference to 钟馗画 (paintings of Zhong Kui).

Common words containing 馗 include: 钟馗 (zhōng kuí) — Zhong Kui (a mythological figure); 馗道 (kuí dào) — thoroughfare; 钟馗画 (zhōng kuí huà) — Painting of Zhong Kui.