How to Write 形 (xíng) — Meaning “shape / form”

Think of the left part 开 as an open palm, and the right part 彡 as three lines drawn on the palm to show its shape. This image helps you remember that 形 means "shape" — the outlines you see on an open hand.

Write the left part 开 first: horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, then vertical hook. Then add the right part 彡 with three evenly spaced left-falling strokes. A common mistake is making the left side too wide — keep it narrow so the character stays balanced.

形 has 开 (kāi) on the left, while 彤 (tóng) has 丹 (dān, meaning "red") on the left. 彤 means "red" and is used in words like 红彤彤 (bright red), whereas 形 is about shape and form. The rare character 㐱 is not used in modern Chinese, so you only need to remember 形 and 彤.

形 appears in common words like 形状 (shape), 形式 (form or format), and 形容 (to describe or appearance). It is also part of the idiom 形影不离 (literally "form and shadow never apart"), meaning two people are always together. In philosophy, 形 refers to physical form as opposed to spirit.

Common words containing 形 include: 形状 (xíng zhuàng) — shape; 形式 (xíng shì) — form / format; 形容 (xíng róng) — describe / appearance.