How to Write 剃 (tì) — Meaning “to shave”

Imagine your younger brother (弟) holding a knife (刂) to shave his head. The visual of a brother with a razor helps link the components to the meaning. This mnemonic ties the sound from 弟 to the action of shaving.

The left part 弟 has seven strokes, ending with a vertical hook, and the right knife radical 刂 is just two strokes. A common mistake is making the knife radical too tall — it should align with the middle of 弟. Also, ensure the top of 弟 (inverted 'U' shape) is not too wide.

剃 uses the knife radical 刂 with 弟 for shaving. 删 combines 册 (book) with 刂, meaning to delete or cut out text. 判 uses 半 (half) with 刂, meaning to judge or divide. Unlike 剃, both 删 and 判 are unrelated to shaving hair.

剃 is common for shaving hair or facial hair, as in 剃头 (haircut or head shave) and 剃须刀 (razor). Culturally, monks shave their heads (剃度) as part of Buddhist practice. It is also used for shaving body hair, like 剃光 (shave clean).

Common words containing 剃 include: 剃头 (tì tóu) — to get a haircut; to shave the head; 剃须刀 (tì xū dāo) — razor; shaver; 剃光 (tì guāng) — to shave bald; to shave clean.