How to Write 浼 (měi) — Meaning “To request”

Imagine someone politely saying "May I?" while pointing to water, since 浼 sounds like "may" in English. The water radical 氵 and the sound "měi" together create a picture of a person requesting a glass of water. This visual helps connect the sound, the radical, and the meaning of making a request.

Start with the water radical 氵 using three quick strokes: dot, dot, lift. Then write 每: begin with the top dot, followed by a horizontal line, a vertical hook, and two inner dots. A common mistake is forgetting the top dot of 每 or making the vertical hook too long, so be careful to keep the proportions balanced.

浼 differs visually from 沫 (mò, foam) because its right side is 每 (with a top dot and vertical hook), while 沫 has 末 (two horizontals and a straight vertical). The character 沭 (shù, a river name) has 术 on the right, which also has a dot but a different hook shape. Their meanings are unrelated: 浼 means "to request," 沫 means "foam," and 沭 is a place name.

浼 is rarely used in everyday speech and appears mostly in formal or classical written Chinese. The common word 浼托 (měi tuō) means "to entrust a favor or request politely." It carries a humble, respectful tone, similar to saying "I humbly ask" in English, and is often found in letters or historical texts.

Common words containing 浼 include: 浼托 (měi tuō) — To entrust; 浼浼 (měi měi) — Flowing water; 浼及 (měi jí) — To involve.