How to Write 獬 (xiè) — Meaning “Xiezhi (mythical beast)”

Imagine a mythical beast that looks like a dog (犭) and can "solve" (解) arguments by telling right from wrong. This matches the Xiezhi's ability to judge people's intentions and punish the guilty.

Write the left radical 犭 first (3 strokes: left-slanting, horizontal, vertical hook). Then write the right part 解 carefully: start with the horn 角 at the top, then the knife 刀 on the lower left, and finish with 牛 on the lower right. A common mistake is making the bottom of 解 too wide or missing the vertical stroke in 牛.

獬 (xiè) has the right side 解 (untie), while 獍 (jìng) has 竟 (end) and 獐 (zhāng) has 章 (chapter). They are all animal-related but refer to different creatures: 獬 is a mythical justice beast, 獍 is a legendary beast that eats its father, and 獐 is a real animal (river deer). The visual difference is mainly in the right half.

獬 is not common in everyday conversation but appears in cultural and legal contexts. It is most often seen in the word 獬豸 (Xiezhi), a symbol of justice, or in 獬冠 (a hat worn by ancient officials). You might also find 獬豸像 (statues of Xiezhi) outside courts or in museums.

Common words containing 獬 include: 獬豸 (xiè zhì) — Xiezhi (a mythical creature in Chinese mythology); 獬冠 (xiè guān) — Xiezhi hat (ancient official's hat); 獬豸像 (xiè zhì xiàng) — Statue of Xiezhi.