How to Write 谅 (liàng) — Meaning “To forgive; to understand”

Imagine that to forgive (谅), you must speak (讠) openly like a leader in the capital (京), where honesty and understanding are important. Another trick: think of the phrase 'I can't go to the capital without forgiving you first.' The dot on top of 京 looks like a small gift of apology.

Write the left radical 讠 first: a dot, then a horizontal fold down. Then write the right part 京: dot on top, horizontal line, then a box (口), and finally the bottom 小. A common mistake is making the 讠 too wide or forgetting the top dot of 京, so keep the left part narrow and the right part balanced.

谅 (liàng) means 'to forgive' and has 京 (capital) on the right. 诓 (kuāng) means 'to deceive' and has 匡 (a box-shaped frame) on the right. 诔 (lěi) means 'eulogy' and has 耒 (a wooden plow) on the right. Visually, 京 has a dot and a mouth, while 匡 has a frame and 耒 has a slanted line.

谅 appears in everyday words like 原谅 (to forgive), 体谅 (to be understanding), and 谅解 (to reach mutual understanding). In Chinese culture, 体谅 especially emphasizes empathy and making allowances for others' situations, reflecting the value of harmony in relationships. You might say '请你谅解' (please understand) when asking for patience.

Common words containing 谅 include: 原谅 (yuán liàng) — to forgive; 体谅 (tǐ liàng) — to be understanding; to make allowances for; 谅解 (liàng jiě) — To understand and forgive; to reach an understanding.