How to Write 溪 (xī) — Meaning “stream; brook; creek”

Imagine the right side 奚 as a winding path with many small turns, like a stream flowing through rocks. The water radical 氵 on the left reminds you that this character is about water, so you can think of a 'water path'.

Make sure the water radical 氵 is written as three separate strokes: a dot, a dot, and a lift. The right side 奚 is complex; pay special attention to the 竖提 (vertical lift) stroke near the middle, and ensure the bottom 幺 part does not become too wide or messy.

The right side of 涪 is 咅 (a phonetic component), while 涫 has 官 (meaning official). 溪 uses 奚, which has more strokes and a distinctive 幺 at the bottom. In meaning, 溪 always refers to a natural stream, while 涪 is a place name and 涫 means to boil water.

溪 appears in words like 溪流 (stream), 小溪 (small brook), and 溪水 (stream water). It is commonly used in nature writing, place names, and poetry to describe peaceful, flowing water in rural or mountain settings.

Common words containing 溪 include: 溪流 (xī liú) — stream; brook; 小溪 (xiǎo xī) — brook; 溪水 (xī shuǐ) — stream water.