How to Write 刎 (wěn) — Meaning “to cut one's throat”

Imagine a person holding a knife (刂) to their own throat while saying "勿" (wù), meaning "don't!" — but it's too late. The irony helps you remember that 刎 is about cutting the throat. Picture the two components as a dramatic scene: a knife and a desperate warning.

Write the left part 勿 first, with four strokes: a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal hook, then two more left-falling strokes. The right part 刂 comes second, with a vertical hook followed by a short vertical stroke. A common mistake is making the left side too wide — keep it narrow so the knife radical has room.

刎 uses 勿 (wù) on the left, while 刈 uses 乂 (yì, a cross shape) and means to mow grass or cut down. 刊 uses 干 (gān, a drying rack) and means to cut blocks for printing or to publish. Visually, the left parts are distinct: 勿 has multiple strokes, 乂 is a simple cross, and 干 is a vertical line with a horizontal crossbar.

刎 is rare in daily speech; it appears mainly in literary or historical contexts, such as the idiom 刎颈之交 (wěn jǐng zhī jiāo, a friendship unto death). The word 自刎 (zì wěn) describes a suicide by cutting one's throat, often in martial arts stories or ancient tales where honor was valued. This character is not used in modern casual conversation.

Common words containing 刎 include: 自刎 (zì wěn) — to commit suicide by cutting one's throat; 刎颈 (wěn jǐng) — to cut one's throat; 刎颈之交 (wěn jǐng zhī jiāo) — a friendship unto death.