How to Write 廷 (tíng) — Meaning “Court / Palace courtyard”

Imagine a palace courtyard where a court official (represented by the right part 壬) must take a long stride (廴) to enter the royal hall. This image links the components to the meaning of 'court' or 'palace courtyard'.

Write the radical 廴 first: horizontal stroke, then horizontal left-falling stroke, then a final sweeping stroke. Then write 壬 as three strokes: left-falling, horizontal, vertical. A common mistake is making the last stroke of 廴 too short or not sweeping to the right enough, which disrupts the balance.

廷 (tíng) means 'court' and has 廴 plus 壬 (a workman). 延 (yán) means 'to extend' and has 廴 plus 㐌 (a stretched shape). 㢟 (chān) is rare and means 'to walk slowly' with 廴 plus 正 (correct). Visually, the right component differs: 壬 for 廷, 㐌 for 延, and 正 for 㢟.

廷 appears in formal terms like 宫廷 (royal court) and 朝廷 (imperial court), referring to ancient Chinese political centers. While not common in daily conversation, it appears in historical dramas, literature, and discussions about traditional government structures.

Common words containing 廷 include: 宫廷 (gōng tíng) — Royal court; 朝廷 (cháo tíng) — Imperial court; 内廷 (nèi tíng) — inner court (of a palace).