How to Write 配 (pèi) — Meaning “To match / To pair / To fit”

Think of a wine bottle (酉) and yourself (己) trying to choose the perfect match for dinner. You ask "Should I pair this wine with the meal?" — and the character 配 looks like a bottle next to a person deciding on a pairing.

Write the radical 酉 first with its left stroke and three horizontal lines, then the enclosure. For the right side 己, remember it has a curve, not a straight line — the second stroke is a diagonal hook, and the last horizontal is slightly shorter. A common mistake is making 己 look like 已 (already) by closing the top too tightly.

配 means "to match" or "to cooperate," while 酊 is used only in 酩酊 (drunkenness) and rarely alone. 酋 means "chieftain" or "tribal leader," and has a different right component (酉 + 丷 + 一). Visual clue: 配 has 己 on the right, 酊 has 丁, and 酋 has a top element like two dots and a line.

配 is common in phrases like 配合 (cooperate) and 搭配 (match/clothing coordination). It appears in daily contexts such as mixing colors (配色) or matching shoes with an outfit. There is no special cultural note, but it is a versatile word for any situation involving compatibility, from teamwork to fashion.

Common words containing 配 include: 配合 (pèi hé) — To cooperate / To coordinate; 配色 (pèi sè) — Color scheme / Color matching; 搭配 (dā pèi) — match / coordinate.