How to Write 羲 (xī) — Meaning “breath; vapor (often used in mythological names)”

Imagine a sheep (羊) exhaling a soft breath (vapor) and making the sound "xi" (like the bottom part 兮). This visual of a mythical sheep breathing out vapor helps connect the shape to the meaning of breath and the name "Xi" in figures like Fu Xi.

The top part 羊 should be slightly wider than the bottom 兮, and the bottom part has a vertical hook at the end that beginners sometimes forget. Make sure the horizontal strokes in 羊 are evenly spaced, and the 兮 component is centered under the sheep.

While all three share the 羊 radical, 羲 has 兮 below and refers to breath or mythological names, whereas 羯 has 曷 below and means a castrated ram or an ancient ethnic group. 羰 has 汤 below and is a chemical term for a carbonyl group, so their meanings and pronunciations are completely distinct.

羲 appears almost exclusively in classical or historical names, such as the mythological figure 伏羲 (Fu Xi) and the calligrapher 王羲之 (Wang Xizhi). It is also found in the name 羲和 (Xihe), the sun goddess. You will rarely see this character in everyday conversation, but it is important in Chinese cultural and historical contexts.

Common words containing 羲 include: 伏羲 (fú xī) — Fu Xi (a mythological figure in Chinese culture); 王羲之 (wáng xī zhī) — Wang Xizhi (famous calligrapher); 羲和 (xī hé) — Xihe (the sun goddess in Chinese mythology).