How to Write 僳 (sù) — Meaning “Lisu (ethnic group)”

Imagine a person (亻) standing under a wooden roof (㐭 resembles a simple shelter) representing the Lisu people's traditional houses. The shape of 㐭 looks like a small hut with two floors, helping you link it to the Lisu ethnic group. This visual trick connects the character's components to the meaning of a community living in such dwellings.

The left radical 亻 is written first as two strokes: a slanted downward stroke (丿) and a vertical stroke (丨), then the right part 㐭 starts with a horizontal stroke at the top, followed by left and right enclosing strokes. A common mistake is making the right part too wide or confusing the inner strokes — remember the sequence inside is two horizontal lines below a roof-like top. The overall shape should be balanced, with the left side slightly narrower than the right.

僳 (sù) is used only in the term 傈僳族 (Lisu ethnic group) and related words, while 傈 (lì) appears also as a surname or in other contexts like 傈僳 (the full name). 傅 (fù) means "tutor" or "attach" and has a different right part (尃 instead of 㐭). Visually, 傅 has a thicker right side with more strokes, while 僳 and 傈 share the same right component but differ in tone and usage (傈 is more common in the compound).

僳 is almost exclusively used in the term 傈僳族, referring to the Lisu ethnic group in China, mainly in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. It also appears in 傈僳语 (Lisu language) and 傈僳家 (Lisu people or family). Cultural note: The Lisu people have a rich tradition of festivals like the Knife-Pole Festival, and the character 僳 is a key part of their written identity in Chinese.

Common words containing 僳 include: 傈僳族 (lì sù zú) — Lisu ethnic group; 傈僳语 (lì sù yǔ) — Lisu language; 傈僳家 (lì sù jiā) — Lisu family; Lisu people.