How to Write 巤 (liè) — Meaning “Bristles / Mane (ancient character)”

Imagine the three lines of 巛 as the top of a wild animal's head, and the complex bottom part as its messy, spiky mane sticking out in all directions. Think of a lion with a bristly mane—the character looks like the mane is exploding outward.

Start with the 巛 radical (three short strokes) on top, then write the large bristle section below. A common mistake is making the bottom too cramped or forgetting the final downward stroke that connects the bristles. Keep the top compact and let the bottom spread wide to capture the mane's flow.

Examples include 巤鼠 (liè shǔ, an ancient term for rodent or squirrel) and 巤毛 (liè máo, bristle hair or mane hair). These appear mostly in old Chinese texts describing animals or their features, and you might encounter them in historical literature or classical poetry about wildlife.

巤 is not used in modern everyday Chinese; it is an ancient character found mainly in classical texts or dictionaries. Culturally, it appears in ancient descriptions of animals with prominent manes, such as horses or lions, giving a vivid image of bristly, untamed hair.

Common words containing 巤 include: 巤鼠 (liè shǔ) — Rodent / Squirrel (ancient term); 巤毛 (liè máo) — Bristles / Mane hair; 巤头 (liè tóu) — Bristly head / Mane.