How to Write 夌 (líng) — Meaning “To climb / To surpass / To overstep (archaic)”

Imagine a big person (大) lying on the ground, and a foot (夂) stepping over them to climb higher. The sound 'líng' is like 'link'—the foot links over the big obstacle. This visual helps you recall the idea of climbing or surpassing.

The top part 夂 is written first with three strokes: left-falling, right-falling, then a left-falling hook. The bottom part 大 follows with a horizontal stroke and two diagonals. A common mistake is making 夂 too wide; keep it narrow and centered above 大 for balance.

夌 has 大 (big) at the bottom, while 夆 has 丰 (abundant) with three horizontal strokes, and 备 has 田 (field) at the bottom. Visually, 夌’s bottom is wider and more open. In meaning, 夌 relates to climbing, while 备 means 'to prepare' and 夆 is rarely used.

夌 is an archaic character not in the HSK list, but it appears in literary or formal compounds like 夌驾 (to override) and 夌越 (to surpass). It is rarely used in daily conversation, mostly in classical texts or historical contexts to describe surpassing or overstepping limits.

Common words containing 夌 include: 夌驾 (líng jià) — To override / To surpass; 夌越 (líng yuè) — To surpass / To cross over; 夌夌 (líng líng) — Tall and prominent appearance.