How to Write 旎 (nǐ) — Meaning “Fluttering or charming (often used in 'yǐnǐ').”

Imagine a square flag (方) waving gently in the wind, and next to it a nun (尼) is gracefully bending her knee. This visual of a flag and a nun moving together can remind you that 旎 means fluttering or charming. You can also think of the English word "knee" (similar sound to 尼) to recall the right side.

When writing 旎, make sure the left radical 方 is slightly narrower than the right component 尼. The first stroke of 方 is a dot, then a horizontal line, followed by a horizontal hook and a left-falling stroke. On the right, write 尸 (horizontal fold, horizontal, left-falling) then 匕 (left-falling, vertical hook) – keep the vertical hook curved but not too long.

The key difference is the right side: 旎 has 尼 (nun), 施 has 㐌 (which looks like a person with a curved tail), and 斿 has 子 (child) with an extra stroke. In meaning, 旎 only appears in the literary word 旖旎 (charming scenery), while 施 is common in verbs like 实施 (implement), and 斿 is an ancient character for wandering. Visually, 旎's right side is shorter and squarer than the others.

Today, 旎 is almost never used alone; it almost always appears in the two-character word 旖旎 (yǐnǐ), which means charming and gentle, especially for describing beautiful natural scenery like spring landscapes. You might find it in classical poetry, literature, or formal descriptions of nature, but not in everyday conversation. For example, the phrase 春光旖旎 (charming spring light) is a poetic expression.

Common words containing 旎 include: 旖旎 (yǐ nǐ) — Charming and gentle; enchanting (of scenery).; 旎旎 (nǐ nǐ) — Fluttering gently.; 旎旖 (nǐ yǐ) — Charming and graceful..