How to Write 尥 (liào) — Meaning “To kick (of animals)”

Imagine a lame horse (尢) that suddenly kicks a spoon (勺) away with its back leg. This visual helps you recall that 尥 means "to kick" of animals, and it is used in the phrase 尥蹶子 (to kick up heels).

Write the left radical 尢 first: a horizontal line, a left-falling stroke, then a vertical hook. Then add the right part 勺: a short left-falling stroke, a horizontal hook, and a dot inside the hook. A common mistake is making the dot too far outside or confusing the right part with a similar shape like 勾.

尥 has an extra component 勺 on the right, while 尣 is just the left radical (meaning lame or weak) with no additional part. 尤 (yóu) looks similar but has a dot at the bottom right instead of a spoon, and it means "especially" or "fault" rather than kicking.

尥 is almost always used in the word 尥蹶子 (liào juě zi), which means to kick up one's heels (of horses or donkeys) or, figuratively, to throw a tantrum. It is informal and common in spoken Chinese or literature to describe stubborn or angry behavior.

Common words containing 尥 include: 尥蹶子 (liào juě zi) — To kick up one's heels; to throw a tantrum; 尥 (liào) — To kick (of animals).