How to Write 汔 (qì) — Meaning “nearly / almost”

Picture a beggar (乞) holding an almost empty cup, asking for water (氵). The cup is nearly dry, so you think of the word "almost." This image links the character's components to its meaning "nearly."

Start with the water radical: three strokes (dot, dot, upward flick). Then write the right part 乞: first a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal line, and finally a vertical hook (竖弯钩). A common mistake is writing the last stroke as a simple vertical line instead of a hook.

汔 has the right side 乞 (a horizontal stroke and a hook), while 㳄 has 欠 (a person yawning, with two strokes) and 氿 has 九 (nine, with a curved stroke). The meanings are different: 汔 means "almost," 氿 refers to a spring or water source, and 㳄 is an ancient character for saliva or flowing water.

汔 is a classical character not in the HSK list and rarely used in daily conversation. It appears in formal or literary contexts, such as in words like 汔可 (qì kě, almost) and 汔济 (qì jì, to achieve success). You may encounter it in ancient texts or poetry rather than modern speech.

Common words containing 汔 include: 汔可 (qì kě) — almost / nearly; 汔用 (qì yòng) — to exert / to use; 汔济 (qì jì) — to achieve success / to be accomplished.