How to Write 躐 (liè) — Meaning “to skip; to bypass; to step over”

Imagine your foot (足) carefully stepping over a row of sharp bristles (巤), like a hedgehog's spines. This image helps you remember that 躐 means to skip or bypass something dangerous or out of order.

Write the left radical 足 first (7 strokes), then the right component 巤 (15 strokes). The bottom part of 巤 has a curled shape and four short strokes that look like hair – be careful not to simplify or misplace these strokes, as they are easy to confuse.

Unlike 躁 (restless, rushed), which has the right side 喿 (meaning noisy), 躐 uses 巤 and specifically means skipping or bypassing order. 躅 (to walk slowly or trample) has the right side 蜀 and implies hesitant stepping, not skipping. Visually, 巤 is more complex than both 喿 and 蜀.

躐 is used in formal or literary contexts, mainly in phrases like 躐等 (to skip a grade) or 躐级 (to jump ranks). It is not common in daily conversation but appears in academic or administrative language when discussing bypassing proper procedures or hierarchies.

Common words containing 躐 include: 躐等 (liè děng) — to skip a grade; to bypass the proper order; 躐级 (liè jí) — to skip a level; to jump ranks; 逾躐 (yú liè) — to overstep; to bypass.