How to Write 觋 (xí) — Meaning “Male wizard; sorcerer”

Imagine a wizard (巫) who puts on special glasses to "see" (见) ghosts or the future. The wizard needs his sight to perform magic, so the character visually combines both ideas. This helps you connect the left side (shaman) with the right side (seeing).

The left radical 巫 is written first: horizontal, then two people shapes (撇, 竖, 横, 竖, 横, 竖, 横) — 7 strokes total. The right radical 见 (7 strokes) starts with a vertical stroke, then horizontal, then left-falling, then right hook (乚). A common mistake is making the left side too wide; keep it narrow so the character balances. Also ensure the right hook of 见 extends slightly below the left side.

觋 has 巫 (shaman) on the left, while 觇 (chān) has 占 (divination) on the left and means "to spy" or "to observe." 览 (lǎn) has 监 (supervise) on top and 见 below, meaning "to look at" or "to view." Only 觋 carries the meaning of a male wizard or sorcerer, so the component 巫 is the key clue.

觋 is very rare in everyday modern Chinese and appears mostly in classical texts or academic discussions about ancient shamanism. The compound 巫觋 (wū xí) is sometimes used to refer to male and female shamans collectively. It carries a strong historical and folkloric flavor, often appearing in contexts of Chinese mythology, ancient rituals, or historical studies of early religion.

Common words containing 觋 include: 巫觋 (wū xí) — shamans (male and female); 男觋 (nán xí) — Male shaman; 觋师 (xí shī) — Wizard; sorcerer.