How to Write 魅 (mèi) — Meaning “Charm”

Imagine a ghost (鬼) that has not yet (未) shown itself, but its charm is already irresistible. You can think: "The unseen ghost (鬼) still charms you with its beauty." This links the left and right parts to the idea of hidden charm.

Write the left radical 鬼 first (9 strokes: 撇, 竖, 横折, 横, 竖, 竖, 横, 撇, 竖弯钩). Then add the right part 未 (5 strokes: 横, 横, 竖, 撇, 捺). A common mistake is making the right part too low or too wide; keep 未 centered vertically and slightly narrower than 鬼. Also, the last stroke of 鬼 (竖弯钩) should curve outward smoothly.

魅 (mèi) means "charm" or "to bewitch," and its right part is 未 (not yet). 魁 (kuí) means "leader" or "chief" (as in 魁梧), with the right part 斗 (dǒu, a dipper). 魂 (hún) means "soul" or "spirit," with the right part 云 (yún, cloud). Visually, the right components are different: 未 vs. 斗 vs. 云, and only 魅 carries the idea of seductive charm.

魅 appears in common words like 魅力 (mèi lì, charm) to describe attractive personalities or places, and in 魅惑 (mèi huò, to bewitch) for magical or alluring situations. Culturally, 魅 is tied to fox spirits (狐魅) in Chinese folklore—beautiful but supernatural beings that use charm to enchant humans. In modern usage, it is mostly positive but retains a hint of mystical allure.

Common words containing 魅 include: 魅力 (mèi lì) — Charm; 魅惑 (mèi huò) — To bewitch; 魑魅 (chī mèi) — mountain demons and evil spirits.