How to Write 姘 (pīn) — Meaning “To have an illicit affair”

Imagine a woman (女) who "pins" (sounds like pīn) herself to a partner secretly, and the right side 并 looks like two figures standing side by side. This visual of a woman pairing up in a hidden way helps recall the meaning of an illicit affair.

Write the left 女 first (stroke order: 撇点, 撇, 横), then the right 并 (点, 撇, 横, 横, 撇, 竖). A common mistake is making the left 女 too wide; keep it narrow so the character stays balanced. Also, ensure the final horizontal of 女 connects smoothly to the right side.

姘 (pīn) means "illicit affair" and uses the phonetic component 并, while 妊 (rèn) means "pregnancy" and uses 壬, and 妍 (yán) means "beautiful" using 开. Visually, 姘's right side is 并 (with a top dot and bottom vertical), which differs from the other two.

姘 appears in formal or written contexts, especially in legal or news reports about extramarital relationships, such as 姘居 (cohabiting illicitly) or 姘头 (paramour). It carries a negative moral judgment and is avoided in polite everyday conversation.

Common words containing 姘 include: 姘居 (pīn jū) — To cohabit illicitly; 姘头 (pīn tou) — Paramour; illicit lover; 姘夫 (pīn fū) — Paramour; illicit male lover.