How to Write 臲 (niè) — Meaning “Unsteady; precarious.”

Imagine a person (自) standing on a wobbly target (臬) that keeps shifting, making them feel unsteady and uneasy. This visual helps connect the character to its meaning of precariousness.

The left radical 自 should be narrow, while the right part 臬 has a 自 on top and a 木 at bottom. A common mistake is making the top part of the right side too wide; the bottom horizontal stroke of 木 should extend well beyond the top to maintain balance.

Both characters share the left radical 自, but 臲 has the right component 臬 (a target with 木 at bottom), while 臱 has a different right part (often 免). Their meanings are unrelated: 臲 means 'unsteady', whereas 臱 means 'to glance sideways' or a type of deer.

臲 is very rare and mostly appears in classical literature or the compound 臲卼 (niè wù), meaning 'precarious and uneasy'. You might encounter it in the idiom 臲卼不安, describing a state of instability or anxiety, but it is not used in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 臲 include: 臲卼 (niè wù) — Unstable; precarious.; 臲卼不安 (niè wù bù ān) — Precarious and uneasy.; 臲然 (niè rán) — Unsteadily..