How to Write 耆 (qí) — Meaning “Old person / Person over sixty”

Think of a wise old person (耂) who always has something important to say (曰). The image of an elder opening their mouth to share advice can help you link the top 'old' and bottom 'mouth' components. This visual of a speaking senior reinforces the meaning of 'elderly person'.

The top part is 耂, not 老 — note that 耂 has a short horizontal stroke at the bottom, not a full '匕' component. The bottom part is 曰 (a wide, flat mouth) not 日 (sun), so it should be slightly wider and shorter. Common mistakes include making the bottom part too tall or adding an extra stroke to the top.

耆 means an elder over sixty, while 耄 (mào) means an even older person, usually over eighty or ninety. 者 (zhě) looks similar but has a different bottom (日 instead of 曰) and means 'one who' or a person doing something, not specifically old. Visually, 耆 has a pointed top from 耂, while 者 has a flatter top with a '土' component.

耆 is used in formal or literary terms like 耆老 (elderly person) and 耆宿 (venerable scholar), often to show deep respect for aged wisdom. It appears in titles for senior community leaders or in historical texts praising esteemed elders. In daily conversation, simpler words like 老人 are more common, so 耆 carries a dignified, scholarly tone.

Common words containing 耆 include: 耆老 (qí lǎo) — Elderly person / Senior; 耆宿 (qí sù) — Venerable elder / Senior scholar; 耆英 (qí yīng) — Eminent elder / Distinguished senior.