How to Write 硙 (wéi) — Meaning “stone mill”

Think of a heavy stone (石) placed on a tall stand (like the tall shape of 豈) to grind grain. You can also remember its pronunciation 'wéi' by imagining saying 'way' — the stone mill is the old way to make flour.

The left radical 石 should be written narrower and slightly shorter than the right side. The right part 豈 has a tall structure: start with a small 山-like top, then a horizontal line, then the 豆-like bottom — keep the strokes evenly spaced. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the middle horizontal stroke.

硙 has a tall right side (豈) and means 'stone mill'. 砂 (shā) has a small right side (少) and means 'sand' — tiny pieces of stone. 砉 (huā) has a right side like 丰 (abundant) and describes a cracking sound of stone. Visually, 硙 looks more balanced and vertical, while 砂 is shorter and 砉 has a flat top.

硙 is not common in everyday modern Chinese; people usually say 磨 (mò) for 'mill'. You might find 硙 in historical or classical texts about ancient farming tools, or in the word 石硙 (stone mill) used in cultural descriptions. Learning it helps you understand traditional grain processing and Chinese agricultural history.

Common words containing 硙 include: 石硙 (shí wéi) — stone mill; 硙磨 (wéi mó) — stone mill; 硙硙 (wéi wéi) — pure white or towering.