How to Write 捩 (liè) — Meaning “Twist / Turn”

Imagine your hand (扌) is trying to straighten a stubborn, twisted stick (think of 戾 as a crooked shape). To remember the pronunciation liè, think of "lie" as in twisting a truth. So you twist (捩) your hand to straighten the lie.

Start with the left radical 扌 (three strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, lift). Then write the right side 戾: first the outer 户 (four strokes), then the inner 犬 (four strokes). A common mistake is making the inner part too wide – keep it narrow so the character stays balanced. Pay attention to the dot on top of 犬.

捩 means twist or turn, while 拜 (bài) means to bow or worship, and 括 (kuò) means to include or enclose. Visually, 拜 has two hands on the left and a different right side, and 括 has a different right side (舌). Unlike them, 捩 is rarely used alone and appears mostly in formal compounds like 转捩点.

捩 is not common in daily speech but appears in formal or written contexts, especially in the word 转捩点 (turning point). You might see it in history or literature to describe a critical change in direction. It can also mean to twist an object, but the more everyday word for twist is 扭 (niǔ).

Common words containing 捩 include: 转捩点 (zhuǎn liè diǎn) — Turning point; 捩转 (liè zhuǎn) — Twist / Turn around; 捩手 (liè shǒu) — Twist the hand.