How to Write 豕 (shǐ) — Meaning “Pig (classical)”

Imagine a pig with a round body (the left and right strokes) and a curly tail (the final stroke at the bottom right). The horizontal line across the top is like the pig's back, and the strokes beneath are its four legs, making it easy to picture.

Start with the top horizontal stroke, then write the left and right 'leg' strokes in a balanced way. The final stroke is a hook-like curve to the right, resembling a pig's tail – make sure it curls outward, not straight down.

豖 (chù) is 豕 with an extra short stroke pointing down from the body, representing a tied foot or a pig that is stuck. Visually, 豕 has no extra stroke inside, while 豖 has a small vertical or dot-like mark near the bottom left of the body.

豕 is rarely used alone today; it mainly appears in classical texts or compound words like 豕突 ('to rush headlong like a pig'). It is also the radical for other pig-related characters, such as 猪 (zhū, modern word for pig).

Common words containing 豕 include: 豕突 (shǐ tū) — To rush headlong like a pig; 牧豕 (mù shǐ) — To herd pigs; 豕蹄 (shǐ tí) — Pig's trotter.