How to Write 斜 (xié) — Meaning “Slanting / Tilted”

Picture a person who has "surplus" (余) grain in a "dipper" (斗), making the dipper tilt to one side. This tilted dipper reminds you that 斜 means "slanting" or "tilted." The image of an overfilled container leaning over helps you recall both the components and the meaning.

When writing the left part 余, make sure the vertical stroke is a hook (竖钩), not a simple straight line, and finish with a dot. The right part 斗 has two dots on top, then a horizontal line and a vertical stroke — keep these dots small and even. A common mistake is making the left side too wide or forgetting the hook, which changes the character's shape.

斜 uses the left component 余 (surplus), while 料 uses 米 (rice) and 斛 uses 角 (horn). The meanings are different: 斜 means "slanting," 料 means "material" (like ingredients), and 斛 is an ancient unit of measurement. Visually, 斜 has more strokes on the left, while 料 has a simpler left side and 斛 has a sharp "horn" radical.

You often see 斜 in words like 斜坡 (xié pō, slope), 倾斜 (qīng xié, to tilt), and 斜边 (xié biān, hypotenuse) in math and daily life. It appears in descriptions of leaning towers, slanted roofs, or windy rain scenery, such as the poetic phrase 斜风细雨 (slanting wind and fine rain). This character is useful for any situation involving a non-straight, angled position.

Common words containing 斜 include: 斜坡 (xié pō) — Slope / Incline; 倾斜 (qīng xié) — to tilt; to slant; to slope; 斜边 (xié biān) — Hypotenuse / Slanted side.