How to Write 弥 (mí) — Meaning “To fill; full; to cover.”

Imagine a bow (弓) that is fully stretched, and you (尔) are filling it with an arrow. This visual of a bow at full draw helps remember that 弥 means 'to fill' or 'full'. The sound 'mí' can also remind you of 'me', as in 'me filling the bow'.

Write the left radical 弓 first with three strokes: a horizontal bend, a vertical bend, and a hook. Then write the right part 尔, which has five strokes — note the small horizontal stroke at the top and the two small strokes below. Common mistakes are making the 弓 too wide or mixing up the order of the strokes in 尔.

弥 has 尔 on the right, while 弛 (chí) has 也 and means 'to loosen' or 'relax', the opposite of filling. 弟 (dì) has a different right side (弟) and means 'younger brother', with no connection to bow or filling. Visually, 弥's right part has two dots above a small '小' like form, unlike the others.

弥 appears in formal or literary words like 弥补 (mí bǔ, to make up for a loss) and 弥漫 (mí màn, to fill the air with smoke or fog). It is also used in the Buddhist name 弥勒 (Mí Lè, Maitreya Buddha) and for 'full month' celebrations in 弥月 (mí yuè). You will not find it in basic HSK vocabulary, but it is common in news and writing.

Common words containing 弥 include: 弥补 (mí bǔ) — To make up for; to compensate.; 弥漫 (mí màn) — To permeate; to fill the air.; 弥合 (mí hé) — To bridge; to close a gap..