How to Write 歙 (shè) — Meaning “To inhale, shut, or She (place name)”

Imagine a bird (羽) joining (合) its wings to take a deep breath (欠). The top part 翕 looks like a bird closing its wings, and 欠 below shows the mouth inhaling.

Pay attention to the top part 翕: it contains 合 on the left and 羽 on the right. 羽 has two small dots, one in each 习 — don't forget the second dot. The whole character has 16 strokes.

歉 has 兼 on top and 欠 below, meaning apology or poor harvest. 歌 has 哥 on top and 欠 below, meaning song. 歙 has 翕 on top and is used mainly for a place name or the action of inhaling, which is rare today.

歙 is most often seen in the place name 歙县 (She County) in Anhui province. This county is famous for 歙砚, a highly valued inkstone used in Chinese calligraphy, so you may encounter the character when learning about traditional art supplies.

Common words containing 歙 include: 歙县 (shè xiàn) — She County; 歙砚 (shè yàn) — She inkstone; 歙张 (shè zhāng) — Contraction and expansion.