How to Write 奚 (xī) — Meaning “why; how; what (classical)”

Picture a giant question mark with legs: the top part 大 looks like a big, open mouth, and the bottom 兮 resembles a curly tail. This image of a curious creature asking 'Why?' helps link the shape to the meaning.

Write 奚 stroke by stroke: first the three strokes of 大 (horizontal, left-falling, right-falling), then the seven strokes of 兮 (starting with top left-falling and right-falling, then a horizontal, a vertical hook, and two dots). A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide—keep 兮 narrow and centered under 大.

The key difference is in the lower part: 奚 has 兮 (with a hook and dots), 奄 has 电 (with a horizontal and a vertical hook), and 奇 has 可 (with a horizontal, a 'mouth' enclosure, and a vertical hook). Visually, 奚 looks more like a question mark, while 奄 is broader and 奇 has a clear '可' component.

奚 is rarely used alone today, but it appears in words like 奚落 (xī luò, to taunt) and 奚琴 (xī qín, a traditional string instrument). The 奚琴 is an early ancestor of the erhu, and 奚落 remains a common verb for mocking or teasing someone.

Common words containing 奚 include: 奚落 (xī luò) — to scoff at; to taunt; to jeer; 奚琴 (xī qín) — Xiqin (a traditional string instrument); 奚为 (xī wèi) — why; for what reason (classical).