How to Write 埼 (qí) — Meaning “headland / cape / peninsula”

Imagine a strange (奇) piece of earth (土) sticking out into the sea — that is a headland or cape. This combines the visual of a landform with the sound qí. Picture a peculiar rocky point to reinforce the meaning.

Start with the left radical 土: horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Then write the right part 奇: first the top 大 (horizontal, left-falling, right-falling), then 可 (horizontal, vertical hook, horizontal, vertical, horizontal). Keep the left side slightly narrower and the right side wider; common mistakes include making the 土 too wide or forgetting the hook in 可.

埼 has the earth radical on the left with 奇 on the right, meaning a headland. 型 (xíng) places the earth radical at the bottom under 刑, meaning a mold or model. 垌 (dòng) uses 同 on the right instead of 奇, and refers to a field or ridge. Visually, 埼 and 垌 both have left-right structure, but the right parts are different; 型 has a top-bottom structure.

The character 埼 is very rare in modern Chinese and mostly appears in classical texts to describe a headland or cape. Its most famous use is in the Japanese place name 埼玉 (Saitama), a prefecture north of Tokyo, which is well known among Chinese speakers who study Japanese geography.

Common words containing 埼 include: 埼玉 (qí yù) — Saitama (prefecture in Japan); 埼岸 (qí àn) — shoreline / coast of a headland; 埼角 (qí jiǎo) — cape / promontory.