How to Write 掀 (xiān) — Meaning “to lift; to uncover”

Picture your hand (扌) lifting a lid to reveal a surprise, and you shout "Wow!" (like 欣 sounds similar to "xin" in "excited"). This links the hand action to the feeling of uncovering something thrilling.

Write the left radical 扌 first (horizontal, vertical hook, lift), then the right part 欣 (斤 followed by 欠). A common mistake is to make the right side too wide or to confuse 斤 with 几. Keep the left narrow and the right balanced.

拜 (bài) means to worship and has two hand radicals (two 扌) unlike 掀 which has one. 括 (kuò) means to enclose or include, with a different right side (舌), not 欣. So 掀 is specifically about lifting, while 拜 is about bowing and 括 is about wrapping.

You often hear 掀开 (xiān kāi) for physically lifting open a lid or cover, and 掀起 (xiān qǐ) for starting a trend or wave, like 掀起热潮 (start a craze). It is common in news and cooking contexts, but not in HSK, so it is useful for intermediate learners who want to read real materials.

Common words containing 掀 include: 掀开 (xiān kāi) — to lift open; to uncover; 掀起 (xiān qǐ) — to set off (a wave or movement); to lift up; 掀翻 (xiān fān) — to overturn; to capsize.