How to Write 抿 (mǐn) — Meaning “to purse (lips); to take a small sip”

Imagine a person (民) using their hand (扌) to gently press their lips together for a small sip of tea. The image of pressing lips to take a sip matches the character's meaning of pursing or sipping.

The left radical 扌 must be written with the three strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, and a short lift. The right part 民 has five strokes, ending with a diagonal stroke. A common mistake is making the bottom of 民 too wide—keep it narrow so the character stays balanced.

托 (tuō) means "to hold in the palm" or "to support" and is made of 扌 plus 乇 (a sprout shape). Unlike 抿, 托 uses a different right component and never relates to the lips. 梗 or 抿 are not similar radicals—㧜 is extremely rare and not used in modern Chinese.

抿 is most often used in phrases like 抿嘴 (to purse one's lips) and 抿一口 (to take a small sip). It commonly appears when describing someone pressing their lips together in thought or taking a delicate sip of tea or wine. In Chinese culture, 抿一口 suggests a refined, gentle drinking manner.

Common words containing 抿 include: 抿嘴 (mǐn zuǐ) — to purse one's lips; 抿一口 (mǐn yī kǒu) — to take a sip; 抿着 (mǐn zhe) — pursing (lips); sipping.