How to Write 敃 (mǐn) — Meaning “Strong and diligent”

Imagine a 'people' (民) working hard with a 'hand' (攵) to build a strong community. The picture of many people striving together helps you recall that 敃 means 'strong and diligent'.

Write from left to right: first write 民 (5 strokes: 横折, 横, 竖提, 横, 斜钩), then 攵 (4 strokes: 撇, 横, 撇, 捺). A common mistake is making the 攵 too wide or too narrow; keep it slightly smaller than 民. Also, ensure the final 捺 of 攵 extends slightly beyond the bottom of 民.

敃 has 民 on the left, while 攸 has 亻 (a person) on the left and 改 has 己 (self) on the left. Visually, 攸 includes a vertical line (丨) under the 攵, and 改's left part is closed like a box. Their meanings also differ: 敃 is about diligence, 攸 means 'that' or 'place', and 改 means 'to change'.

敃 is very rare in everyday modern Chinese and appears mostly in classical texts or formal writing. It is used in words like 敃勉 (to encourage) and 强敃 (strong and diligent) to describe a person's virtuous character. Because it is not in the HSK list, learners may only encounter it in literature or historical contexts.

Common words containing 敃 include: 敃勉 (mǐn miǎn) — To encourage or strive; 敃敃 (mǐn mǐn) — Diligent and striving; 强敃 (qiáng mǐn) — Strong and diligent.