How to Write 挺 (tǐng) — Meaning “very; quite; straight; to stick out”

Imagine a hand (扌) pushing up a tent (廷 sounds like 'tent') to make it stand straight and tall. This helps you recall both the 'straight' meaning and the 'sticking out' action of 挺.

Write the 扌 part first with a narrow width, then the right side 廷: start with 撇 (piě), then two horizontal strokes and a vertical, and finish with 横折折撇 and 捺 (nà) – the last 捺 should stretch out to balance the character. Avoid making the 廴 component too small or crooked.

㧜 is a rare character that looks similar but is not commonly used – its meaning is unclear. 扭 (niǔ) means 'to twist' or 'turn', opposite of 挺's 'straight' idea. Visually, 扭 has 丑 (chǒu) instead of 廷, so 挺 has a tall right side while 扭 is more compact.

挺 is very common as an adverb meaning 'quite' or 'pretty', like 挺好 (tǐng hǎo, quite good). It also means 'to straighten' (挺胸) and appears in the idiom 挺身而出 (tǐng shēn ér chū), which describes bravely stepping forward to help, a valued quality in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 挺 include: 挺好 (tǐng hǎo) — quite good; very good; 挺拔 (tǐng bá) — tall and straight; upright; 挺身而出 (tǐng shēn ér chū) — to step forward bravely.