How to Write 隰 (xí) — Meaning “lowland; marsh”

Imagine a low-lying marsh (隰) where the sun (日, top part of right side) shines down on wet silk (糸, bottom part of right side) on a small hill (阝). This picture helps you link the character to a damp, lowland place.

Write the left radical 阝 first with two strokes (horizontal fold hook then vertical), keeping it narrow and tall. Then write the right side 㬎 from top to bottom: start with the 日 part, then the 糸 part below, making sure the overall balance is left narrow and right wide. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide.

隰 has the left radical 阝 and a complex right side with 日 and 糸, while 鄦 has a very different right side (not commonly seen) and 鄯 uses the right component 善 (meaning 'good'). Visually, 隰 is taller and more intricate on the right, whereas 鄯 is more balanced and simpler. In usage, 隰 refers to marshland, while 鄦 is an ancient surname and 鄯 appears in place names like Shànshàn.

隰 is not part of the common HSK vocabulary, but it appears in place names such as 隰县 (Xi County in Shanxi) and in classical or geographical writing. Culturally, 隰 is often paired with 原 (plateau) in phrases like '原隰' to describe plains and marshes in ancient poetry and texts.

Common words containing 隰 include: 隰地 (xí dì) — low-lying land; marshland; 隰草 (xí cǎo) — marsh grass; 隰县 (xí xiàn) — Xi County (in Shanxi).