How to Write 忝 (tiǎn) — Meaning “Unworthily (humble)”

Picture "heaven" (天) pressing down on your "heart" (心), making you feel small and unworthy. This visual of a heavy sky over your heart helps link the shape to the humble meaning of 忝.

Write the top part 天 first: three horizontal strokes from top to bottom, then a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke. Below, write 心 as three dots and a hook, making sure the bottom hook aligns with the center of 天 to keep the character balanced.

The top parts are different: 忝 has 天 (heaven), 忌 has 己 (self), and 忍 has 刃 (blade). Meaning-wise, 忝 conveys humble self-deprecation, while 忌 means to fear or avoid, and 忍 means to endure or tolerate.

忝 is a formal, humble word used in written Chinese or polite speech, such as 忝列 (to have the honor to be among a group) or 忝为人 (unworthily being a person). It is not common in daily conversation but appears in self-deprecating expressions to show modesty, especially in traditional or literary contexts.

Common words containing 忝 include: 忝列 (tiǎn liè) — To have the honor of being among; 忝为人 (tiǎn wéi rén) — Unworthily being a...; 忝在 (tiǎn zài) — To unworthily be in.