How to Write 蕲 (qí) — Meaning “to seek; place name”

Imagine you are seeking a key (sounds like qí) hidden in a grassy field – the grass radical 艹 represents the field, and the bottom part 斦 looks like a key if you squint. This helps you remember both the shape and the sound of 蕲, meaning 'to seek'.

Start by writing the grass radical 艹 as three strokes: horizontal, vertical, then left-falling. Then write the bottom part 斦: first the left side 斤 (4 strokes) then the right side 欠 (4 strokes) – make sure the bottom part is balanced and not too wide. A common mistake is making the 欠 too large, so keep both sides similar in size.

The key visual difference is the bottom part: 蕲 has 斦, 葄 has 乍 (or 作), and 蒗 has 浪. In meaning, 蕲 is used for seeking or as a place name, while 葄 is very rare and 蒗 refers to a type of plant. These characters are not interchangeable.

蕲 is not common in daily conversation but appears in place names like 蕲春 (Qichun county in Hubei) and in the word 蕲艾 (Qichun mugwort), which is famous in traditional Chinese medicine. You might also see 蕲求 in formal writing to mean 'to seek' or 'to pray for', but it is very rare and literary.

Common words containing 蕲 include: 蕲求 (qí qiú) — to pray for; to seek; 蕲艾 (qí ài) — Qichun mugwort; 蕲春 (qí chūn) — Qichun (a county in Hubei).