How to Write 歧 (qí) — Meaning “Divergent; fork (in a road)”

Imagine you are walking on a road when you suddenly see a sign that says 'STOP' (止), and ahead the road splits into two branches (支). That branching stop sign reminds you of a fork in the road, which is exactly what 歧 means.

歧 has 8 strokes: first write the left part 止 (strokes: vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the right part 支 (strokes: horizontal, vertical through it, left-falling, right-falling). A common mistake is making the two parts touch too closely—keep a small gap between 止 and 支. Also, the last two strokes of 支 should be a clear left-falling and right-falling like open legs.

All three contain 止, but the other component is different. 此 (cǐ, 'this') has 匕 (spoon shape) on the right, while 步 (bù, 'step') has 少 (few) below. 歧 has 支 (branch) on the right, so it is the only one that means 'fork' or 'divergence.' Visually, look for the 'branch' shape (支) to identify 歧.

歧 appears in common words like 歧视 (discrimination), 分歧 (difference of opinion), and 歧义 (ambiguity). It is used in social and abstract contexts rather than literally for roads. Culturally, the image of a forked road (歧路) is a classic metaphor in Chinese literature for life's choices and uncertain paths.

Common words containing 歧 include: 歧视 (qí shì) — Discrimination; 分歧 (fēn qí) — Divergence; difference (of opinion); 歧义 (qí yì) — Ambiguity; multiple meanings.