How to Write 饩 (xì) — Meaning “sacrificial food; grain given as a gift”

Imagine you are offering food (饣) to spirits, and the aroma rises like air (气) into the sky. This picture of 'food turning into air as a gift' helps link the parts to the meaning of sacrificial food or a grain gift.

The left radical 饣 has three strokes: first a short slant, then a horizontal hook, and finally a vertical hook. The right part 气 has four strokes: a slant, two horizontals, and a curved hook at the end; be careful not to make the hook too straight. A common mistake is to misplace the third horizontal stroke on the right side, so always count both horizontal lines in 气.

饩 has right side 气 (air), while 饥 has right side 几 (a small table) and means 'hungry'. 饧 has right side 行 (to walk) and means 'malt sugar'. Visually, 气 includes a curved hook at the bottom, 几 does not, and 行 has two separate parts. In usage, 饩 is very rare and classical, while 饥 is common in everyday Chinese.

饩 is almost never used in daily conversation or modern writing. You may find it in historical texts, classic literature, or set phrases like 廪饩 (a salary paid in grain) and 饩羊 (a sheep used in sacrifice). It carries a strong cultural connection to ancient Chinese rituals and official grain stipends.

Common words containing 饩 include: 廪饩 (lǐn xì) — Stipend / Salary in grain; 饩牵 (xì qiān) — sacrificial livestock; 饩羊 (xì yáng) — sacrificial sheep.