How to Write 省 (shěng/xǐng) — Meaning “province / save / omit”

Imagine you have only a few (少) eyes (目) left, so you must 'save' your vision by looking less. This visual helps you link the parts to the meaning 'to economize'. For the 'province' meaning, picture a map with few (少) areas that need your attention (目).

Write the top part 少 first: start with a vertical hook, then a left-falling stroke, a dot, and another left-falling stroke. Then add 目 below, making sure the bottom of 目 is slightly wider than the top and centered under the hook of 少. A common mistake is making the top part too wide, which unbalances the character.

省 has a top-bottom structure (少 on top, 目 on bottom), while 盯 and 盱 are left-right structures with 目 on the left. 盯 (dīng) means 'to stare' and 盱 (xū) means 'to look up', but 省 means 'province' or 'to save'. Visually, 省 looks like a small eye under a roof, whereas the others have the eye on the side.

You often see 省 in place names like 广东省 (Guǎngdōng Shěng, Guangdong Province) and in daily phrases like 节省 (jié shěng, 'to save' money or resources). The character also appears in 反省 (fǎn xǐng, 'self-reflection'), which is a common concept in Chinese culture about examining one's own actions. When talking about provinces, remember that China has 23 provinces, each abbreviated with this character.

Common words containing 省 include: 省份 (shěng fèn) — province; 节省 (jié shěng) — To save / To economize; 反省 (fǎn xǐng) — self-reflection.