How to Write 敏 (mǐn) — Meaning “Quick; agile; sensitive”

Picture a person who is so quick that they react to every (每) movement (攵) around them. Alternatively, think of the English word 'sensitive' and note that both start with 'S' — the left part 每 looks a bit like a stylized 'S'. This mental image links the shape to the meaning.

Write the left part 每 first: start with the diagonal stroke, then the top horizontal, vertical, bottom horizontal, and final dot inside. The right part 攵 is four strokes: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, right-falling. A common mistake is making the right part too small; it should be roughly equal in width to the left part.

Visually, 敏 has 每 (with a horizontal line on top) on the left, while 政 has 正 (uprightness) and 敃 has 民 (people). Meaning-wise, 政 is about government or politics, 敏 is about quickness or sensitivity, and 敃 is a rare variant meaning agile. In usage, 敏 is common in everyday words like 敏感, whereas 政 appears in political terms and 敃 is almost never used.

敏 appears frequently in words like 敏感 (sensitive), 过敏 (allergy), and 敏捷 (nimble). It is also a popular character in Chinese names, especially for girls, often implying cleverness and quick thinking. Culturally, being 敏 is praised as a sign of intelligence, as seen in the idiom 敏而好学 (quick-witted and fond of learning).

Common words containing 敏 include: 敏感 (mǐn gǎn) — Sensitive; 过敏 (guò mǐn) — allergy; allergic; 敏捷 (mǐn jié) — agile; nimble.