How to Write 骐 (qí) — Meaning “Piebald horse”

Imagine a horse (马) playing chess (棋 sounds like its part 其) — the checkered chessboard pattern reminds you of the piebald (two-colored) coat of a 骐 horse. Alternatively, think of the horse having a special "key" (其) that unlocks its legendary speed.

Start with the left radical 马 (3 strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then write 其 (8 strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, right-falling). Keep 马 narrow and 其 wider; a common mistake is making the 马 radical too large or forgetting the middle horizontal stroke inside 其.

骐 specifically means a piebald horse or a legendary fine steed, while 骁 (xiāo) means a brave horse and 骄 (jiāo) means a proud or arrogant horse. Visually, 骐 uses 其 on the right, 骁 uses 尧, and 骄 uses 乔 — so the right-side components are the key to telling them apart.

骐 is rarely used in daily conversation but appears in classical idioms and literary contexts, such as 骐骥 (qí jì, a legendary fine steed) or 骐骥一跃 (a single leap of a fine steed, meaning a sudden achievement). Culturally, 骐骥 often symbolizes a talented person who can accomplish great things quickly.

Common words containing 骐 include: 骐骥 (qí jì) — A legendary fine steed; 骐马 (qí mǎ) — A fine horse; 骐骥一跃 (qí jì yī yuè) — A single leap of a fine steed.