How to Write 葸 (xǐ) — Meaning “timid / afraid”

Picture a blade of grass (艹) nervously "thinking" (思) about being stepped on — the grass is literally trembling with fear. This visual of a scared plant helps you recall that 葸 means "timid" or "afraid."

First write the grass radical 艹 as three strokes (horizontal, then left vertical, then right vertical), keeping it compact. The lower part 思 has nine strokes: draw the 田 (field) square and balanced, then finish with the heart radical 心 (three dots and a hook). A common error is making the top grass too wide; keep it narrow so the character looks stable.

葸 (xǐ) means "timid" and has 思 underneath, while 荷 (hé) means "lotus" and has 何 (hé) below — they look similar but have different lower parts and completely different meanings. 荸 (bí) is used only in the word 荸荠 (bíqi, water chestnut) and has 孛 (bèi) below; it is a plant, not an emotion. So the key difference is the lower component and the meaning.

葸 appears almost exclusively in formal or literary contexts, especially in the idiom 畏葸不前 (wèi xǐ bù qián), meaning "to hesitate to move forward out of fear." You will rarely hear it in daily conversation; it is more common in classical quotes, serious writing, or historical texts to describe cowardice or timidity.

Common words containing 葸 include: 畏葸 (wèi xǐ) — Timid / Fearful; 畏葸不前 (wèi xǐ bù qián) — To hesitate to move forward out of fear; 葸然 (xǐ rán) — timidly.