How to Write 赛 (sài) — Meaning “to compete; match; race”

Imagine a race where runners dash under a roof (宀) toward a well (井) to grab a shell (贝) as the prize. This picture links the three components to the meaning of competition. You can also think of a "sai" (赛) as a contest where you bet a shell in a well.

Start with the top dot and then the roof (宀), then write the middle part like 井 but with the vertical stroke crossing the horizontal ones. The bottom 贝 should be slightly wider than the top, and be careful not to make the last two strokes (left-falling and right-falling) too close together. A common mistake is making the middle too tall, so keep the whole character balanced and compact.

賏 (yīng) is a very rare character meaning a string of shells and has two 贝 side by side, not used in daily life. 赋 (fù) appears in words like 天赋 (talent) and means "to bestow" or "tax"; it has 贝 on the left and 武 on the right. In contrast, 赛 always means competition, race, or match, and is written with 宀, 井, and 贝 stacked vertically.

赛 appears in common words like 比赛 (competition/match), 赛跑 (running race), and 决赛 (finals). It is used for all types of contests, from sports to academic quizzes. In Chinese culture, 赛 also appears in phrases like 赛季 (sports season) and even in the name 赛珍珠 (Pearl S. Buck), showing its broad usage.

Common words containing 赛 include: 比赛 (bǐ sài) — Competition / Match; 赛跑 (sài pǎo) — race; running race; 决赛 (jué sài) — finals (in a competition).