How to Write 猊 (ní) — Meaning “lion-like mythical beast”

Imagine a lion-like beast (shown by the radical 犭) that makes a sound 'nee' (like the pinyin ní). The right part 兒 looks a bit like a child, but you can think of a 'knee' — the beast has a strange knee. This connects the sound and the meaning of a mythical creature.

Pay attention to the right side 兒: it has a top part that resembles a square with two vertical lines, and a bottom part like 儿. A common mistake is to write the top too wide or confuse it with 兄. Also, keep the left radical 犭 narrow so the right side has enough space.

猊 has 兒 on the right, while 狠 has 艮 and 狊 has 目 (eye) on the right. Only 猊 means a mythical beast; 狠 means 'cruel' (as in 狠心) and 狊 is a very rare character for a type of dog. Visually, the right parts are clearly different.

猊 is rarely used in daily conversation; it appears mainly in ancient texts or cultural terms like 狻猊 (Suanni, a mythical creature). It can also be found in Buddhist contexts, such as 猊座 (lion throne) for Buddha statues. Knowing it helps when reading classical literature or visiting historic temples.

Common words containing 猊 include: 狻猊 (suān ní) — Suanni (a mythical creature resembling a lion); 猊座 (ní zuò) — lion throne; 猊口 (ní kǒu) — mouth of a lion (ornament).