How to Write 犀 (xī) — Meaning “rhinoceros; sharp”

Think of a rhinoceros (牛) hiding under a big blanket (尸) — the blanket covers its body but the sharp horn still pokes out. This helps you remember 尸 on top and 牛 below, and the "sharp" meaning of 犀利.

The top part 尸 must be written with the horizontal stroke crossing the left-falling stroke, not separate. The bottom 牛 has a short horizontal stroke before the long vertical one, and the vertical stroke should not poke through the top 尸. Common mistake is making 尸 too narrow or 牛 too tall.

犀 (xī) contains 尸 over 牛 and means "rhinoceros" or "sharp." 屐 (jī) has 尸 over 彳 and 支, meaning "wooden clogs." 屑 (xiè) has 尸 over 肖 and means "bits" or "to think trivial." Visually, the bottom parts differ: 牛 vs 彳+支 vs 肖.

犀 appears in 犀牛 (xī niú, rhinoceros), an endangered animal often mentioned in conservation topics. 犀利 (xī lì) describes sharp knives, incisive writing, or piercing eyes. The idiom 心有灵犀 (xīn yǒu líng xī) refers to a telepathic understanding between two people, based on ancient belief that rhinoceros horns had spiritual power.

Common words containing 犀 include: 犀牛 (xī niú) — rhinoceros; 犀利 (xī lì) — sharp; incisive; piercing; 灵犀 (líng xī) — mutual understanding; telepathy.