How to Write 邋 (lā) — Meaning “slovenly / messy”

Imagine someone walking (辶) while tangled in messy thorny vines (剌). The chaotic, unkempt appearance helps you recall that 邋 means slovenly or messy. The sound "lā" can also remind you of "lazy" — a lazy person often looks messy.

Stroke order: First write the inner part 剌 (8 strokes), then add the walk radical 辶 (3 strokes) as the final bottom-left enclosure. A common mistake is writing 辶 too early or misplacing the right component's strokes. Keep the whole character balanced — the inner part should not extend beyond the 辶.

邋 (lā) means messy, while 遽 (jù) means hurried or urgent, and 避 (bì) means to avoid. Visually, the inner parts differ: 邋 has 剌, 遽 has 豦, and 避 has 辟. All share the same radical 辶 but have very different pronunciations and meanings.

邋 is used in informal speech to describe a person's untidy appearance or a messy place. Common phrases include 邋遢 (lā tā) for "sloppy" and 邋里邋遢 (lā lǐ lā tā) for "very slovenly." Using 邋 can be mildly insulting, so it is best used casually among friends, not in formal writing.

Common words containing 邋 include: 邋遢 (lā tā) — sloppy / slovenly / messy; 邋里邋遢 (lā lǐ lā tā) — slovenly / untidy; 不邋遢 (bù lā tā) — Not messy / Neat.