How to Write 沩 (wéi) — Meaning “Wei (name of a river)”

Imagine a river (氵) that flows gently 'for' (为 sounds like 'way') the people living along its banks. The phrase 'Wei River goes its way' can help you recall the pinyin wéi and the water meaning.

The left radical 氵 is written with three dots: first dot, second dot, then a short horizontal stroke ending with a third dot. The right part 为 has four strokes: a dot, a left-falling stroke, a horizontal with a hook, and a final dot. Make sure the right side is slightly taller than the left, and the hook of 为 does not extend below the last dot.

沩 (wéi) is a river name, while 㳄 (xián) is an obsolete character meaning saliva or drool, and 氿 (guǐ) refers to a spring that dries up. Visually, 沩 has the water radical plus 为, 㳄 has a water radical plus 欠 (qiàn, to yawn), and 氿 has a water radical plus 九 (jiǔ, nine). Their pronunciations and meanings are completely different.

沩 is mainly used in place names, especially the Wei River (沩水) in Hunan Province and Mount Weishan (沩山) nearby. It appears in historical and geographical contexts, but it is not a common character in everyday conversation. Learners may encounter it in travel or cultural texts about the region.

Common words containing 沩 include: 沩水 (wéi shuǐ) — Wei River; 沩山 (wéi shān) — Mount Weishan; 沩江 (wéi jiāng) — Wei River.