How to Write 嵬 (wéi) — Meaning “lofty / towering”

Picture a tall, jagged mountain (山) that is so high a ghost (鬼) lives at its peak. Since ghosts are scary and mountains can be scary when very steep, the image of a ghost on a mountain helps recall the meaning "lofty and towering." This visual combines both components into a single memorable scene.

The top part (山) should be narrower than the bottom part (鬼), keeping the overall shape balanced. A common mistake is making the mountain radical too wide or writing the 鬼 portion too small, which makes the character look squished. Pay special attention to the vertical stroke in 鬼: it must extend straight down through the center.

嵬 (wéi) specifically means "rocky and towering," often used for rugged, steep mountains. 峨 (é) means "high and lofty" but with a sense of grandeur, like in 峨眉山 (Emei Mountain), and is more common in place names. 峪 (yù) means "valley" or "ravine," the opposite of a peak—so it refers to a low area between mountains, not a tall one.

嵬 is rarely used alone; it mainly appears in literary or poetic descriptions of imposing mountains, such as in the two-character word 崔嵬 (cuī wéi). In classical Chinese poetry, 嵬 evokes awe toward nature's grandeur, similar to how English uses "majestic" or "soaring" for mountains. You might encounter it in nature writing or historical texts, but it is not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 嵬 include: 崔嵬 (cuī wéi) — rocky and towering; 嵬峨 (wéi é) — towering and lofty; 嵬嵬 (wéi wéi) — lofty and towering.