How to Write 逶 (wēi) — Meaning “winding”

Imagine a woman (女) carrying grain (禾) on her head, walking (辶) along a winding road because the path is twisty. The shape of 委 looks like a person bending slightly, which reminds you of the winding meaning of 逶.

First write the top part 委, paying attention to balance: the 禾 should be slightly narrower than the 女 below it. Then add the 辶 radical, making sure its bottom curve extends under the whole 委 component — a common mistake is making 辶 too short or placing it too far left.

逶 has 委 inside (禾 + 女), while 迷 has 米 (rice) inside, so visually the left side of the inner part is different: 逶 has a 禾 on top, 迷 has a 米. In meaning, 逶 means winding (as in roads), whereas 迷 means lost or confused — for example, 迷路 (mílù) means to get lost.

逶 is mostly used in classical or literary Chinese, not in daily conversation. Its common word 逶迤 (wēi yí) describes long, winding scenery, such as a meandering river or mountain range, and appears often in poetry and landscape descriptions to evoke a sense of graceful twists.

Common words containing 逶 include: 逶迤 (wēi yí) — winding and meandering; 逶随 (wēi suí) — to wind along; 逶迟 (wēi chí) — winding and slow.