How to Write 慝 (tè) — Meaning “evil; vice; hidden evil”

Imagine a wicked person trying to hide (匿) their malicious heart (心) from others. The idea of a sneaky villain keeping their evil intentions secret makes the character easy to recall.

The top part 匿 has many strokes, so keep it compact and balanced. The bottom 心 must be clearly written with its three dots and a curved hook; a common mistake is making the heart too small or omitting the hook stroke.

悲 (bēi) means "sad" and contains 非 (not) over 心, while 慝 has 匿 (hide) over 心, so 悲 is about emotion and 慝 is about concealed evil. 㥯 is an extremely rare character; visually it has a different top component (爪-like) and no clear connection to 慝 in meaning or use.

慝 is rarely used in everyday speech; it appears mainly in classical or formal writing, often in the two-character words 奸慝 (wicked person) and 邪慝 (evil doings). You may encounter it in historical texts or literary descriptions of hidden malice.

Common words containing 慝 include: 奸慝 (jiān tè) — Wicked person; 邪慝 (xié tè) — Evil / Nefarious; 慝心 (tè xīn) — evil intent; malicious heart.