How to Write 郄 (qiè) — Meaning “Qie (a surname)”

Imagine a valley (谷) next to a small hill (阝) — that's where Mr. Qie lives. Visualize the right part as a valley with mountains on the sides and the left part as a mound, helping you link the shape to the surname.

Write the left radical 阝 first: vertically down, then a horizontal stroke with a hook. Next write the right component 谷: start with the top deviating strokes, then the middle 'person' shape, and finally the mouth at the bottom. Keep the left part narrow and the right part wider to maintain balance.

The key difference is the position of 阝: 郄 has 阝 on the left, while 邠 and 邡 have 阝 on the right. Also, the left part of 邠 is 分 (divide), and of 邡 is 方 (square), whereas 郄 uses 谷 (valley). Visually, 郄 looks taller on the left, while the others are reversed.

郄 is solely used as a surname, pronounced qiè. It is very rare in modern China, but you may encounter it in historical texts or in names like 郄先生 (Mr. Qie). There is no other common usage, so learning it is mainly for reading old documents or knowing a unique family name.

Common words containing 郄 include: 郄先生 (qiè xiān shēng) — Mr. Qie; 郄姓 (qiè xìng) — the surname Qie; 老郄 (lǎo qiè) — Old Qie (referring to someone named Qie)..