How to Write 貔 (pí) — Meaning “a mythical beast”

Think of 貔 as a "pet beast" that loves gold: imagine a beast (豸) sitting next to a pile of coins and saying "Pí, give me more!" This connects to the creature 貔貅, which is famous for attracting wealth.

Start with the left radical 豸 - write the dot on top, then the horizontal strokes, and finally the curved bottom; it has 7 strokes. The right side has 10 strokes, and a common mistake is to make the radical look like 豕 (pig) by forgetting the dot or the tail curve. Practice the balance between the two sides evenly.

The similar character 貘 (mò) means "tapir" and has the right component 莫 (meaning "not"), while 貔 has a right side that looks like a simplified tiger head (虍) with a few extra strokes. In pronunciation, 貔 is pí and 貘 is mò, and they appear in different words: 貔貅 (mythical beast) vs 貘 (real animal).

貔 is rarely used alone; it appears in the word 貔貅 (pí xiū), a legendary creature believed to attract and protect wealth. In feng shui, statues of 貔貅 are placed in homes or businesses for good luck. The word 貔虎 (pí hǔ) is a literary term for brave warriors, but it is not common in everyday speech.

Common words containing 貔 include: 貔貅 (pí xiū) — Pixiu (mythical auspicious creature); 貔虎 (pí hǔ) — brave warriors; 貔子 (pí zi) — weasel (northern dialect).