How to Write 弦 (xián) — Meaning “String; chord.”

Picture a bow (弓) with a mysterious (玄) string stretched across it. The word 玄 sounds like "xuan" and can remind you of a "xylophone" string — even though it's not a xylophone, the odd sound helps link the bow and the string. So think: a bow with a strange, thin string that makes music.

Start with the radical 弓 on the left: write it as three strokes (horizontal hook, then a curved horizontal and a vertical hook). Then write 玄 on the right: first a dot, then a left-falling stroke, then two horizontal strokes (the second shorter) and a final dot. Common mistakes: making the 玄 too wide or forgetting the final dot — keep the right side narrow and balanced with the left.

The key difference is the right side: 弦 has 玄, 弛 has 也, and 弟 has a different pattern with a vertical stroke and two sweeping curves. Meanings are opposite: 弦 is about tension (string, chord), while 弛 (chí) means to loosen or relax (like a bow unstrung). 弟 (dì) means younger brother and has no connection to strings or bows.

弦 is common in music (琴弦 qínxián, instrument string) and emotional expressions (心弦 xīnxián, heartstrings, meaning emotional feelings). It also appears in astronomy: 上弦月上弦 moon (first quarter moon) describes the moon's shape like a drawn bow. A cultural note: the phrase "动人心弦" (dòng rén xīnxián) means "to touch one's heartstrings," showing how strings are metaphors for deep emotion.

Common words containing 弦 include: 琴弦 (qín xián) — Instrument string; 心弦 (xīn xián) — heartstrings; 上弦 (shàng xián) — First quarter moon; to wind up (a clock).