How to Write 暱 (nì) — Meaning “intimate; close”

Picture a sunny day (日) when you hide (匿) together with a close friend, sharing a secret. The warmth and secrecy represent intimacy. You can also imagine the sun hiding behind clouds as a metaphor for a pet name shared only between two people.

Write the left radical 日 first, making it narrow and tall, about one-third of the character's width. The right side 匿 begins with a short horizontal stroke (first stroke of 匸) then a left vertical, followed by the inner parts 艹 and 右. A common mistake is forgetting that initial horizontal line, so remember it starts with a short stroke at the top.

The similar character 暄 (xuān) means "warm" (as in 寒暄, exchange pleasantries) and has the right side 宣, while 暱 uses 匿 on the right. The rare character 㬎 is not used in modern language. Visually, 暱's right part contains a "grass" radical (艹) and a "right" component (右), whereas 暄's right part starts with a roof (宀).

暱 appears in words like 亲暱 (intimate), 暱称 (pet name), and 暱友 (close friend). In mainland China the simplified form 昵 is more common, but traditional 暱 is still used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Culturally, 暱称 is a special name used between lovers or very close friends to express affection.

Common words containing 暱 include: 亲暱 (qīn nì) — intimate; close; 暱称 (nì chēng) — nickname; pet name; 暱友 (nì yǒu) — close friend; intimate friend.