How to Write 撇 (piē/piě) — Meaning “left-falling stroke; to cast aside; to skim”

Imagine you are using your hand (扌) to skim the scum off a pot of soup, and you make a quick left-falling motion (like the stroke 丿) to throw it away. The right side 敝 looks a bit like a worn-out rag you are discarding. This visual of a hand throwing something aside can help you recall both the stroke and the verb meanings.

The left radical 扌 should be narrow and written first, using three strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, and lift. The right part 敝 is taller and starts with a left-falling stroke (丿) that aligns with the character's own name. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the dot at the top of 敝.

撇 has the component 敝 on the right, while 掾 has 彖 and 揄 has 俞, giving them completely different pronunciations and meanings. 掾 (yuàn) is an ancient term for a minor official, and 揄 (yú) means to pull or flatter, so neither relates to hand actions like skimming or discarding. Visually, 撇's right side has a distinctive top dot and left-falling stroke that the others lack.

撇 is used both as a noun meaning the left-falling stroke (丿) in Chinese calligraphy and as a verb meaning to cast aside or skim. Common words include 撇开 (piē kāi, to set aside), 撇嘴 (piě zuǐ, to curl one's lip in disbelief), and 左撇子 (zuǒ piě zi, left-handed person). The term 左撇子 is culturally interesting because it uses 撇 to describe the left hand's natural sweeping motion.

Common words containing 撇 include: 撇开 (piē kāi) — to set aside; to leave out; 撇嘴 (piě zuǐ) — to curl one's lip (in disdain or disbelief); 左撇子 (zuǒ piě zi) — Left-handed person..