How to Write 皙 (xī) — Meaning “Fair-skinned; white”

Imagine a pale face (白) that is so fair it looks like it has been split (析) into separate bright sections. This links the top 'white' with the bottom 'split' to recall 'fair-skinned'.

First write the 白 radical as a narrow box with a short left stroke, then write 析 below with the wood radical (木) on the left and 斤 on the right. A common mistake is making the 白 too wide or confusing the bottom part with 析's similar characters like 杢.

皙 (xī) specifically describes fair skin, while 皎 (jiǎo) means bright white like moonlight or a gleaming object, and 皑 (ái) means pure white like snow. Visually, 皙 has 析 below, 皎 has 交, and 皑 has 岂.

皙 appears mainly in the word 白皙 (bái xī), meaning fair or pale skin, often used to compliment someone's complexion. In Chinese culture, fair skin has traditionally been associated with beauty and high social status.

Common words containing 皙 include: 白皙 (bái xī) — fair-skinned; 皙白 (xī bái) — Fair and white (skin); 皙皙 (xī xī) — Fair; white.