How to Write 痿 (wěi) — Meaning “atrophy; impotence; paralysis”

Imagine a sick person (疒) lying on a bed, looking weak and wilted like a dried plant (委 sounds like 'wilted'). The image of a paralyzed patient helps connect the character to its meaning of atrophy and impotence.

First write the radical 疒: dot, horizontal, left-falling, dot, then lift. Then write 委: top part 禾 (grain) with a left-falling and a right-falling, then bottom part 女 (woman). Common mistakes include making the 疒 too narrow or forgetting the dot inside the radical. Ensure the left side is slightly taller than the right.

痤 (cī) means a blemish or flaw, and its right side is 此 (cǐ); 痊 (quán) means to recover from illness, with right side 全 (quán). In contrast, 痿 (wěi) specifically refers to atrophy, weakness, or impotence, and its right side is 委 (wěi). The different right components change the meaning and pronunciation entirely.

痿 is used mainly in medical or formal contexts to describe atrophy or paralysis, such as in 痿缩 (wěi suō, atrophy) or 阳痿 (yáng wěi, impotence). It is not a common everyday character and appears in clinical reports or health discussions. Note that 阳痿 is a sensitive term, so use it respectfully in appropriate settings.

Common words containing 痿 include: 痿缩 (wěi suō) — atrophy; shrinkage; 痿弱 (wěi ruò) — weak and atrophied; 阳痿 (yáng wěi) — impotence.