How to Write 戾 (lì) — Meaning “perverse; violent; (literary) to reach”

Picture a dog (犬) shoving its head under a closed door (户), acting wildly and aggressively. This violent image helps you recall that 戾 means 'violent' or 'perverse'.

The top 户 must be written with a left-falling stroke that slants, not a straight vertical. The bottom 犬 should be centered under the door, with its big stroke slanting to the right, making sure the character is balanced and not too wide.

All three share the 户 radical. 戾 has 犬 (dog) below, meaning violence. 戽 has 斗 (a ladle) below, referring to a water scoop. 房 has 方 (square) below, meaning a house or room. Focus on the bottom part to tell them apart.

戾 is formal and literary, appearing in words like 暴戾 (violent and ruthless) or 戾气 (hostile, aggressive energy). It's often used to describe a person's bad temper or a tense atmosphere, but it is not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 戾 include: 暴戾 (bào lì) — violent; ruthless; fierce; 戾气 (lì qì) — hostility; aggressive spirit; malevolence; 乖戾 (guāi lì) — perverse; morose; bad-tempered.