How to Write 佞 (nìng) — Meaning “flattery; glib”

Picture a person (亻) who is 'nestling' close to a powerful person (like a king) and using sweet, flattering words. The right part 仁 sounds like 'ren' (benevolence), but this person fakes kindness—so think of a fake 'benevolent' person who is actually a flatterer.

Pay attention to the right side: it is 仁 (rén), not 二 (èr) followed by a separate stroke. The top stroke of 仁 is a horizontal line, then a short vertical line (the left side of the 亻 shape), then a horizontal line at the bottom. Do not add an extra stroke between the two horizontal lines—the right component is exactly like the character 仁.

仔 (zǐ or zǎi) usually means 'young' or 'careful' and is seen in words like 仔細 (zǐxì, careful), while 仕 (shì) means 'to be an official' or 'scholar-official' (e.g., 仕途 shìtú). In contrast, 佞 (nìng) has a negative meaning of flattery or sycophancy. Visually, 仔 has a right side 子 (child), 仕 has a right side 士 (scholar), and 佞 has 仁 (benevolence).

佞 is rarely used in daily conversation; it appears mostly in formal or historical writing, especially in fixed terms like 佞臣 (sycophantic official) and 奸佞 (treacherous flatterer). Culturally, it describes people who gain favor through insincere praise, often in imperial court contexts, and carries a strong negative moral judgment.

Common words containing 佞 include: 佞臣 (nìng chén) — sycophantic official; 奸佞 (jiān nìng) — Treacherous and sycophantic; 佞人 (nìng rén) — flatterer.