How to Write 禧 (xǐ) — Meaning “Happiness; joy; blessings”

Imagine a person with a big smile (喜) standing under a spiritual canopy (礻) — this represents happiness that is blessed from above. You can also think of the phrase "Spirit + Joy" to recall its meaning of divine happiness.

Start with the left radical 礻: write dot, dot, horizontal stroke, then vertical stroke with a hook. Then write the right side 喜 from top to bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too wide — keep it balanced so the character is not squashed.

禚 (zhuó) and 禛 (zhēn) both share the same radical 礻 but have completely different right-side components and meanings. 禧 uses 喜 (happiness) on the right, while 禚 has 羔 (lamb) and 禛 has 真 (true). Only 禧 carries the meaning of joy and blessings.

禧 is mainly used in festive greetings like 恭贺新禧 (Happy New Year) and in terms like 禧年 (jubilee year). It is not a common daily character but appears in written blessings, New Year decorations, and ceremonial contexts to convey happiness and good fortune.

Common words containing 禧 include: 恭贺新禧 (gōng hè xīn xǐ) — Happy New Year.; 禧年 (xǐ nián) — Jubilee year; a year of joy; 禧事 (xǐ shì) — A joyful event; a happy occasion.