How to Write 让 (ràng) — Meaning “To let, allow, or yield”

Imagine someone on a crowded bus says 'Please let me pass' (the speech radical 讠), and you step up (上) to the side to give them room. This mental image of stepping up to allow passage helps you remember that 让 means 'to let' or 'yield.'

Start by writing the left radical 讠: a dot first, then a horizontal stroke that curves into a diagonal hook. Then write the right part 上: a vertical stroke downward, a short horizontal stroke across it, and finally a long bottom horizontal line. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or forgetting that the vertical stroke on the right extends above the top horizontal line.

The key difference is the right side: 让 has 上 (up), 计 has 十 (ten), and 订 has 丁 (a nail). Visually, in 让 the vertical line of 上 goes above the top horizontal, while in 计 the cross is even, and in 订 the bottom of 丁 hooks left. Their meanings also differ: 让 is about allowing, 计 means 'to calculate,' and 订 means 'to book or order.'

让 is used daily for polite requests like 请让一下 (Qǐng ràng yīxià, 'Please move aside'). Culturally, 让座 (ràng zuò, giving up a seat) is a common polite behavior expected on buses and subways, especially to offer seats to elderly, pregnant women, or people with children. This reflects the Chinese value of yielding and showing respect to others.

Common words containing 让 include: 让座 (ràng zuò) — To give up one's seat to someone; 让步 (ràng bù) — To make a concession or compromise; 让开 (ràng kāi) — To step aside or get out of the way.