How to Write 萎 (wēi/wěi) — Meaning “wither; wilt”

Picture a woman (女) sitting under grass (艹) holding a grain stalk (禾) that is dry and bent over. This image of a wilted plant with a drooping woman and grain helps you remember 萎 means "wither." Another trick: think of "wee" (wēi) as a weak plant that is shrinking.

Start with the top 艹: write a horizontal line, then a left vertical, then a right vertical — keep them even and not too tall. Then write 禾 below (stroke order: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling) and finally 女 (left-falling dot, left-falling, horizontal). A common mistake is making the bottom 女 too wide; keep it narrow so the character stays balanced.

萎 has the component 委 (grain + woman) under grass, meaning "wither." In contrast, 兹 (zī) has 玄 (dark) under grass and means "this" or "now," while 苧 (níng) has 宁 (peace) under grass and refers to the ramie plant. Visually, note that 萎 uses 委 with a clear grain and woman shape, while the others have different lower parts.

萎 appears in words like 枯萎 (kū wěi) for plants drying up, 萎缩 (wēi suō) for economic shrinkage or muscle atrophy, and 萎靡 (wěi mǐ) describing a listless mood. It always carries a negative sense of decline or loss of energy. In Chinese medicine, 萎 can refer to conditions like atrophy or weakness in the body.

Common words containing 萎 include: 枯萎 (kū wěi) — to wither; to shrivel; 萎缩 (wēi suō) — shrink; atrophy; wither; 萎靡 (wěi mǐ) — listless; dispirited.