How to Write 屉 (tì) — Meaning “drawer; steamer tray”

Imagine a drawer (屉) shaped like a box with the radical 尸 as the lid and 世 as the three stacked layers inside. The "world" (世) of items fits neatly into this drawer. This visual of layers helps link the character to both a drawer and a steamer tray.

Start with the horizontal stroke of 尸, then the two vertical strokes inside, and finally the bottom stroke. The lower part 世 has three horizontal lines; make sure the middle one is longest and the top and bottom are shorter. A common mistake is writing 世 too wide—keep it compact under the 尸 radical.

屉 has the 尸 radical on top and 世 below, while 尽 (jìn, exhaust) has 尺 (ruler) below 尸. 尾 (wěi, tail) has 尸 on top and 毛 (hair) below. Visually, 屉’s bottom is symmetrical with three horizontal lines, unlike 尽’s angled strokes or 尾’s furry bottom.

屉 is most common in 抽屉 (chōu tì, drawer) for furniture like desks and cabinets. It also appears in 笼屉 (lóng tì, steamer tray) for cooking dim sum or buns in bamboo steamers. In daily life, you’ll often see this character on furniture instructions or in kitchenware shops.

Common words containing 屉 include: 抽屉 (chōu tì) — drawer; 屉子 (tì zi) — drawer; 笼屉 (lóng tì) — Steamer tray.