How to Write 麋 (mí) — Meaning “Elk / Père David's deer”

Imagine a deer (鹿) eating a bowl of rice (米) and growing into a large elk. The rice helps you recall the sound "mí" because "rice" is mǐ in Chinese, and the deer reminds you it is an animal.

Pay attention to the radical 鹿: it has a broad top and a narrow bottom, and you must write it with the correct strokes (the inner part is 比 but simplified). Below it, the 米 should be centered and not too wide, with the horizontal stroke of 米 crossing through the middle of the deer's body.

麋 has 米 (rice) under the deer radical and means a kind of deer. In contrast, 鏖 (áo) has a much more complex bottom (金 and 里) and means fierce battle, not an animal. 麃 (biāo) also has a deer radical but usually has 木 (tree) below and refers to a different ancient deer species.

麋 is not common in daily speech but appears in the word 麋鹿, which specifically refers to Père David's deer, a rare species native to China. It is also used in the literary term 麋集 (to gather together), and it carries cultural significance because the Père David's deer has a history linked to Chinese imperial hunting parks and conservation.

Common words containing 麋 include: 麋鹿 (mí lù) — Père David's deer; 麋集 (mí jí) — To gather together; 麋角 (mí jiǎo) — Elk antlers.