How to Write 斡 (wò) — Meaning “To turn / To mediate”

Imagine the left side 倝 as a spinning sun rising over a field, and the right side 斗 as a ladle stirring a pot. Picture someone mediating a dispute by "turning" both sides around, just as you would stir a pot to mix everything evenly.

Pay attention to the left component 倝: it has 10 strokes starting with the top horizontal and ending with a vertical hook, and it should be slightly narrower than the right 斗. A common mistake is making the 斗 too large or misplacing the dot above the 斗 — remember the dot comes third to last, just before the final horizontal stroke.

While 斟 (zhēn) means "to pour tea" or "to deliberate" and contains the same right component 斗, 斡 focuses on turning around or mediating, and its left side is 倝 (sunrise). Visually, 斟 has the left component 甚 (very) instead of 倝, so 斡 looks more like a sunrise scene while 斟 relates to a pouring action.

斡 is most commonly used in the formal word 斡旋 (wò xuán), meaning "to mediate" a dispute or intervene diplomatically, often in political or business settings. It is a high-level term not part of everyday conversation, but you may see it in news about international relations or conflict resolution.

Common words containing 斡 include: 斡旋 (wò xuán) — To mediate / To intervene; 斡运 (wò yùn) — To operate / To transport; 斡流 (wò liú) — To swirl / To circulate.