How to Write 猸 (méi) — Meaning “badger or civet”

Imagine a badger with thick eyebrows, since the right side 眉 means eyebrow. Picture the animal peeking out from under its bushy eyebrows, and the dog radical 犭 reminds you it's a mammal. This visual link between "eyebrow" and the badger's face helps recall the character.

Write the left radical 犭 first with three strokes (撇、弯钩、撇). Then the right side 眉 begins with the top left stroke, followed by the nine strokes of 眉. A common mistake is making the dog radical too wide; keep it narrow so the right side has space. Ensure the radical's hook bends smoothly without turning into a straight line.

猸 (méi) means badger or civet, while 狳 (yú) refers to an armadillo-like animal, and 狴 (bì) is a mythical beast often seen on prison gates. Visually, 猸 has 眉 on the right, 狳 has 余 (yú), and 狴 has 卑 (bēi). All share the animal radical but differ in the right component and specific animal meanings.

猸 is not common in everyday Chinese and is not in the HSK vocabulary. It appears mainly in regional or literary contexts, such as the word 猸子 (méi zi) meaning badger, and in compound terms like 猸子毛 (badger hair) or 猸子肉 (badger meat), typically in descriptions of wildlife or traditional products.

Common words containing 猸 include: 猸子 (méi zi) — badger; 猸子毛 (méi zi máo) — Badger hair; 猸子肉 (méi zi ròu) — Badger meat.