How to Write 亡 (wáng) — Meaning “to die; to lose; to perish”

Picture a small dot (the head) above a curved line that looks like a body sinking into the ground. This image reminds you of death or loss because the person is disappearing. The three strokes together form a simple picture of something falling and fading away.

Write the dot first, then the horizontal line, and finally the curved stroke (like a vertical line that hooks left at the bottom). Make sure the dot is centered slightly left of the horizontal line, and the curved stroke ends with a small upward hook. A common mistake is making the curved stroke too straight or too long, so keep it compact and smooth.

亠 is just the top radical and is never used alone as a full character, while 亡 is a complete character with three strokes. 亢 (kàng) looks similar but has a different bottom part: 亢 uses a vertical stroke then a horizontal left stroke (like a right angle), whereas 亡 ends with a single curved stroke that bends left. Their meanings also differ: 亢 means high or overbearing, while 亡 relates to death or loss.

亡 is commonly used in compound words like 死亡 (death) and 逃亡 (to flee), and in the famous idiom 亡羊补牢 (to mend the fold after the sheep are lost), which means "better late than never." It rarely appears alone in everyday speech and often carries a serious or literary tone. In Chinese culture, 亡 is associated with endings and loss, but also with the idea of learning from mistakes.

Common words containing 亡 include: 死亡 (sǐ wáng) — Death; 逃亡 (táo wáng) — to flee; to go into exile; 亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo) — to mend the fold after the sheep are lost; better late than never.