How to Write 怯 (qiè) — Meaning “timid; cowardly”

Imagine a timid person with a scared heart (忄) who says "I want to go (去) away from here!" The combination of heart and "go" visually reminds you that fear makes you want to escape.

The left radical 忄 is written as a vertical line with two dots, not three strokes like some similar radicals. The right part 去 has a short horizontal line above the 土 — make sure the top stroke is clearly separated from the lower strokes to avoid confusion.

While 怯 (qiè) means timid, 忏 (chàn) means repent or confess, and 忕 (shì) is rarely used in modern Chinese. Visually, 怯 has the right side 去 (go), 忏 has 千 (thousand), and 忕 has 大 (big) — each right component gives a different meaning to the heart radical.

You will see 怯 in words like 胆怯 (dǎn qiè, being afraid or lacking courage) and 怯场 (qiè chǎng, stage fright before an audience). It often describes a temporary or situational fear, such as feeling nervous before a performance or facing a challenge.

Common words containing 怯 include: 胆怯 (dǎn qiè) — Timid / Fearful; 怯场 (qiè chǎng) — stage fright; 羞怯 (xiū qiè) — shy and timid.