How to Write 昵 (nì) — Meaning “Intimate / Close”

Imagine the sun (日) shining on your knee (尼 sounds like 'knee'), and you feel warm and intimate with a close friend sitting beside you. This visual links the shape and sound to the meaning of closeness.

The left radical 日 should be narrow, not square, and the right part 尼 starts with a horizontal fold (like a roof) followed by a left slash, then two strokes for 匕. A common mistake is making 日 too wide or confusing the stroke order of 尼's bottom part.

昵 has 尼 on the right, while 旰 (gàn) has 干 on the right, and 旱 (hàn) has 干 under 日. Visually, 昵's right side is more complex with a roof shape, unlike the simple 干 in the other two. Their meanings are also different: 昵 means intimate, 旰 means late in the day, and 旱 means drought.

昵 appears in common words like 昵称 (nickname) and 亲昵 (intimate or affectionate). It is used to describe close, friendly relationships, especially online or among family and lovers. In Chinese culture, using a 昵称 shows warmth and informality.

Common words containing 昵 include: 昵称 (nì chēng) — Nickname; 亲昵 (qīn nì) — intimate; affectionate; 昵近 (nì jìn) — To be close with / Intimate.