How to Write 蹊 (qī/xī) — Meaning “Footpath; track”

Picture a path (蹊) that is so narrow only one person can walk it — imagine the left part 足 as a single foot, and the right part 奚 as a person with arms out holding "something strange" (since 蹊也可 means strange in 蹊跷). This helps link the footpath to the idea of a suspicious, narrow trail.

蹊 has 17 strokes and is left-right balanced. Write the left radical 足 first (7 strokes), then the right part 奚 (10 strokes). Pay attention to the bottom of 足: the final two strokes are a short horizontal and a left-falling kick (stroke 6 and 7), not a dot. Ensure the right side's top (爫) is narrow so the whole character stays compact.

蹊 (qī) specifically means a footpath or trail, while 踏 (tà) means "to step on" or "to tread" and uses the radical 足 with 沓 (repeated steps). 䠀 (chǎng) is a rare character meaning "to walk" or "to tread" and is almost never used today. Visual clue: 蹊 has 奚 on the right, 踏 has 沓, and 䠀 has 敞.

蹊 is rarely used alone; it appears in the word 蹊跷 (qī qiāo) meaning "fishy" or "suspicious" — often when something seems off. Another common phrase is 独辟蹊径 (dú pì xī jìng), a literary idiom meaning "to blaze a new trail" or "to find one's own way." These expressions are used in formal writing, news, or motivational speeches.

Common words containing 蹊 include: 蹊跷 (qī qiāo) — Fishy; suspicious; strange; 蹊径 (qī jìng) — Path; way; shortcut; 独辟蹊径 (dú pì xī jìng) — to blaze a new trail.