How to Write 位 (wèi) — Meaning “position; seat; (classifier for people)”

Imagine a person (亻) standing upright (立) on a small platform, proudly claiming their seat. The shape of 立 even looks like a little figure with arms stretched out, helping you connect 'person standing' to 'position' or 'seat'.

Write the left radical 亻 first (two strokes: slanted line and vertical), then the right side 立 (five strokes). Keep the whole character balanced: the left side is narrow, and the right side is slightly wider. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke of 立 too short, which makes the character look squished.

位 contains 立 (stand) and means 'position' or 'seat', and is a polite classifier for people. 仔 (zǐ) has 子 (child) and means 'young person' or 'son', while 仕 (shì) has 士 (scholar) and means 'official' or 'to serve as an official'. Visually, the right sides are distinct: 位 has 立, 仔 has 子, and 仕 has 士.

Use 位 when counting people politely, like 哪位 (which person?), or for seats like 座位 (zuò wèi) and 位子 (wèi zi). Culturally, using 位 instead of the generic 个 shows respect, so it is preferred for addressing guests, teachers, or strangers in formal situations.

Common words containing 位 include: 哪位 (nǎ wèi) — Which person (polite); 座位 (zuò wèi) — Seat; 位子 (wèi zi) — seat; place.