How to Write 嶙 (lín) — Meaning “jagged; rugged”

Imagine a mountain (山) covered with many sharp, uneven rock formations that look like spaced-out "lines" — 粦 sounds like "lin." Picture those rocky lines sticking out in a jagged pattern. This visual of a mountain with spiky lines helps you recall the meaning rugged.

Write the left radical 山 first (three strokes: vertical, then left-falling and right-falling). Then write the right part 粦: start with the top 米 (rice) and finish with the bottom 舛. A common mistake is making the left 山 too wide or misplacing the strokes in 粦, so keep the left side narrow and the right side balanced.

嶙 has the mountain radical and means jagged or rugged, describing a rough texture. In contrast, 嵊 (shèng) is a place name for a county in Zhejiang, China, and 嵞 (tú) is a rare character for a mountain or plateau name. Unlike 嶙, which is an adjective, 嵊 and 嵞 are proper nouns for specific locations.

嶙 rarely appears alone; it is most common in the word 嶙峋 (lín xún), which describes rugged mountains, rocky terrain, or a person’s bony appearance. Writers and poets use it to evoke harsh, uneven landscapes. The character is not in the HSK vocabulary but appears in classical-style descriptions and idioms.

Common words containing 嶙 include: 嶙峋 (lín xún) — jagged; bony; 嶙嶙 (lín lín) — rugged; jagged; 嶙峻 (lín jùn) — steep and rugged.