How to Write 獠 (liáo) — Meaning “Fierce; long-fanged”

Imagine a wild dog (犭) with extra-long, shiny fangs (like the two dots on top of 尞 representing sharp teeth). The right side looks like a face with long fangs sticking out, so "beast with fangs" helps you recall both the sound and meaning.

Write the left radical 犭 first: left-falling, hook, then left-falling (3 strokes). Then the right part 尞: start with the top 亠 (dot and horizontal line), then 日 (four strokes), and finally 小 (three strokes). A common mistake is making the right part too wide or confusing the bottom 小 with 木—keep it narrow and balanced.

猿 (yuán) means "ape," with radical 犭 and yuan phonetic 袁, while 獍 (jìng) is a mythical beast with radical 犭 and 竟 phonetic. 獠 (liáo) specifically means "fierce with long fangs," and its right side 尞 is distinct from 袁 and 竟. Visually, 獠 has a 日 inside its right part, unlike 猿's 口 and 獍's 竟.

獠 is rarely used alone today; it appears mostly in set phrases like 獠牙 (fangs) and 獠面 (fierce face) to describe monsters, demons, or terrifying expressions in literature and folklore. It is not in HSK and is considered a classical or literary character, often evoking images of mythical beasts or fierce warriors.

Common words containing 獠 include: 獠牙 (liáo yá) — Fangs; tusks; 獠面 (liáo miàn) — Fierce-looking face; 獠牙长 (liáo yá zhǎng) — Long fangs.