How to Write 瘸 (qué) — Meaning “lame or to limp”

Imagine a person with a sick leg (疒) who adds (加) extra weight on their good leg and has to drag their flesh (肉) forward. This limping image helps recall the meaning of being lame or hobbling.

Write the outer radical 疒 first (dot, then left-falling stroke and vertical line with two dots inside). Then on the right, write 加 (left side 力, right side 口) and underneath it 肉 (two dashes inside). Be careful not to make the right side too wide, and keep the 肉 component narrow.

瘊 (hóu) means a wart or growth on the skin, while 瘌 (là) refers to scabies or a rough skin disease. Unlike these skin-related illnesses, 瘸 specifically describes a leg disability that causes limping, so it focuses on movement rather than skin conditions.

瘸 is commonly used in daily speech to describe someone who limps, as in 他腿瘸了 (tā tuǐ qué le, his leg is lame). It appears in words like 一瘸一拐 (limping along) and 瘸子 (a lame person), but note that 瘸子 can be considered impolite, so it's better to describe the condition respectfully.

Common words containing 瘸 include: 瘸腿 (qué tuǐ) — lame leg; 一瘸一拐 (yī qué yī guǎi) — to limp; hobbling; 瘸子 (qué zi) — a lame person.