How to Write 汽 (qì) — Meaning “Steam / vapor”

Imagine steam coming off a hot drink: the water radical 氵 is the liquid, and the 气 part looks like the rising air or breath. Visualize a car (汽车) running on vapor, linking 汽 to both water and air.

When writing 汽, the left radical 氵 (three dots) must be written as three separate strokes: dot, dot, then a short upward flick. The right side 气 has a horizontal stroke that should not touch the top—leave a small gap. A common mistake is making the 气 part too wide; keep it narrow and balanced.

汽 (steam) has the water radical plus 气 (air). 㳄 (yán) means “saliva” and has a different right component (欠, indicating mouth/breath). 氿 (guǐ/guī) means “spring water” and has a right side 九 (nine) — never used for steam or cars. The shapes and meanings are distinct.

汽 appears in everyday words like 汽车 (car, literally “steam vehicle”) and 汽水 (soda, “steam water”), showing how steam power influenced early translations. In Chinese culture, 汽 represents both the practical invention of cars and the simple joy of a fizzy drink.

Common words containing 汽 include: 汽车 (qì chē) — Car; 汽水 (qì shuǐ) — Soda / soft drink; 汽油 (qì yóu) — Gasoline / petrol.