How to Write 酹 (lèi) — Meaning “to pour a libation”

Imagine a hand (寽) pouring wine (酉) onto the ground as a sacred offering. The right side 寽 looks like a hand with three fingers and a wrist, helping you recall the pouring action.

Pay attention to the strokes inside the left radical 酉—it has a small horizontal stroke that beginners sometimes forget. The right part 寽 is written with a claw shape (爫) on top and 寸 below; keep the vertical hook short and balanced.

酡 (tuó) means flushed from drinking, with 它 (it) on the right. 酢 (cù) means vinegar or sour, with 乍 (sudden) on the right. 酹 (lèi) has 寽 (hand-pouring) and specifically refers to pouring wine as an offering, not drinking or vinegar.

酹 is a classical literary character, rarely used in daily speech. It appears in poetry like Su Shi's line '一尊还酹江月' (I pour a cup of wine to the river and moon) and in formal phrases like 酹酒 (lèi jiǔ) for ceremonial libations to ancestors or nature.

Common words containing 酹 include: 酹酒 (lèi jiǔ) — to pour wine as an offering; 奠酹 (diàn lèi) — to pour a libation; 酹江月 (lèi jiāng yuè) — Lei Jiang Yue (a poem melody name).