How to Write 驷 (sì) — Meaning “Team of four horses”

Imagine four horses (四) lined up next to a horse radical (马) — picture a chariot pulled by exactly four horses. This visual connects the character directly to its meaning of a team of four horses.

Write the left radical 马 first: three strokes (横折, 竖折折钩, 横), then the right part 四 using five strokes (竖, 横折, 撇, 竖弯, 横). A common mistake is making the 四 too wide or forgetting the final horizontal stroke.

驷 uses 四 (four) on the right, meaning a team of four horses. 驮 has 大 (big) on the right, meaning to carry a load on the back. 驯 has 川 (stream) on the right, meaning to tame or train animals. The right components give each character a distinct meaning.

驷 is rarely used alone but appears in the idiom 一言既出, 驷马难追, meaning 'once a word is spoken, even four horses cannot catch it.' It is a literary expression emphasizing the importance of keeping one's word.

Common words containing 驷 include: 驷马 (sì mǎ) — Team of four horses; 驷马难追 (sì mǎ nán zhuī) — What is said cannot be unsaid; a team of four horses cannot catch up.; 一言既出 (yī yán jì chū) — once a word is spoken.