How to Write 肆 (sì) — Meaning “four (formal); unrestrained; shop”

Picture a painter holding a long brush (聿) and making a wild, unrestrained stroke across the canvas — the left part 镸 looks like a long arm reaching out freely. For the formal number four, imagine you 'see' (sounds like sì) four long brushes lined up. This visual links the shape to both 'unrestrained' and the number four.

When writing 肆, pay special attention to the left part 镸: write the top horizontal first, then the vertical, then the left-falling stroke, and finally the horizontal hook. A common mistake is making the left side too wide or confusing the right side 聿 with the similar component in 律. Keep the character balanced by making the left side slightly narrower than the right.

肆 (sì) has the left part 镸 (long), while 肄 (yì) has 隶 (captive) on the left — 肄 means 'to practice' and is seen in words like 肄业 (to drop out). 肇 (zhào) has a top part 户 (door) and a bottom part 聿 with a different structure, meaning 'to cause' or 'to start'. Remember that 肆 is about being unrestrained or the number four, not about learning or causing.

肆 is commonly used as the formal or financial version of the number 4, like on banknotes or contracts, to prevent forgery. It also appears in words like 放肆 (presumptuous) and 肆意 (willfully), meaning 'unrestrained'. Additionally, 肆 can mean 'shop' in historical terms like 酒肆 (tavern), which is occasionally used in literature or traditional contexts.

Common words containing 肆 include: 放肆 (fàng sì) — presumptuous; insolent; 肆意 (sì yì) — wantonly; recklessly; willfully; 酒肆 (jiǔ sì) — tavern / wine shop.