How to Write 锲 (qiè) — Meaning “to carve; to engrave”

Imagine a metal tool (钅) carving a contract (契) into a stone tablet — the act of engraving requires persistent effort. This image directly connects to the common idiom 锲而不舍, which means 'to keep carving without giving up' and reminds you of the character's meaning.

Write the left radical 钅 first with 5 strokes: left-falling stroke, then three horizontals, and finish with a vertical lift. Then write the right part 契 with 9 strokes, starting with two horizontals, then a vertical, left-falling, horizontal, right-falling, left-falling, and finally a right-falling stroke. Common mistakes include making the right side too narrow or mixing up the top strokes of 契 (which look like 丰 but with an extra horizontal).

锲 means 'to carve or engrave' and features 契 on the right, while 铓 (máng) means 'blade' or 'sharp edge' and uses 亡 (wáng) as its phonetic part. 铸 (zhù) means 'to cast or smelt metal' and has 寿 (shòu) on the right. Visually, the right-side components are completely different, so focus on 契, 亡, and 寿 to tell them apart.

锲 appears mostly in formal or literary contexts, especially in the classic idiom 锲而不舍 (qiè ér bù shě), which means 'to persevere unremittingly' and comes from the ancient text Xunzi. It is also used in technical terms like 锲刻 (qiè kè, 'to engrave') and 锲入 (qiè rù, 'to cut into'). The character carries a strong cultural association with dedication and continuous effort.

Common words containing 锲 include: 锲而不舍 (qiè ér bù shě) — to persevere; to work with persistence; 锲刻 (qiè kè) — to engrave; to carve; 锲入 (qiè rù) — to carve into; to cut into.