How to Write 险 (xiǎn) — Meaning “danger or steep”

Imagine a group of people (佥) standing on a steep hill (阝) — that's a dangerous situation! The image of everyone together on a steep slope helps link the visual parts to the meaning of danger.

Pay attention to the left radical 阝: it is written as two strokes (a horizontal bend and a vertical line) and should be narrower than the right side. The right part 佥 has a small 人 on top, then a horizontal line, and three strokes below; common mistakes include making the 人 too large or forgetting the middle horizontal line.

All three share the radical 阝, but 险 uses 佥 on the right, giving it the meaning of danger or steep. 邮 has 由 (reason) on the right and means post or mail, while 邯 has 甘 (sweet) on the right and is used only in the place name Handan. Visually, the right parts are completely different, so focus on those to tell them apart.

险 appears in common words like 危险 (dangerous) to warn of harm, 保险 (insurance) for financial safety, and 冒险 (to take a risk) for adventurous actions. A cultural note: Chinese people often say ‘注意安全，危险!’ ('Be careful, danger!') in public spaces when hazards are present.

Common words containing 险 include: 危险 (wēi xiǎn) — dangerous; danger; 保险 (bǎo xiǎn) — insurance; 冒险 (mào xiǎn) — To take a risk / adventure.