How to Write 悯 (mǐn) — Meaning “to pity; to sympathize”

Picture a sad scene: a heart (忄) is trapped inside a gate (闵), and you feel pity for it. The gate represents a situation causing sorrow, and your heart responds with compassion. This image links the shape to the emotion of pity.

Write the left radical 忄 first as two dots and a vertical line, keeping it narrow. Then write the right side 闵: start with the outer door frame 门, then add 文 inside. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or forgetting the two dots, which changes the character.

怊 (chāo) means "sad" or "melancholy" and has 召 (zhao) on the right, while 怍 (zuò) means "ashamed" and has 乍 (zha). In contrast, 悯 means "pity" or "compassion" and uses 闵 (mǐn). Visually, the right-side components are distinct: 闵, 召, and 乍.

悯 is often found in formal or literary words like 怜悯 (pity) and 悲悯 (compassion). It is famously used in the poem title "悯农" (Pity the Peasants), which expresses sympathy for farmers. In daily speech, simple words like 可怜 (kělián) are more common, but 悯 appears in written and poetic contexts.

Common words containing 悯 include: 怜悯 (lián mǐn) — pity; compassion; mercy; 悲悯 (bēi mǐn) — compassion; pity; 悯农 (mǐn nóng) — pity the peasants.