How to Write 胸 (xiōng) — Meaning “chest; breast”

Imagine a person holding a big round chest (like a treasure chest) in front of their own chest. The left part 月 looks like a rib cage, and the right part 匈 resembles a box. This visual helps connect the shape to the meaning of chest or breast.

Write the left radical 月 with a narrow, straight vertical stroke, and keep the two horizontal strokes short. The right part 匈 must be balanced: the outer 勹 wraps the inner 凶, and the final downward stroke should extend slightly below the left side. A common mistake is making the right part too wide or misplacing the inner 凶.

胸 means "chest/breast" and uses the 月 (meat) radical. 朊 is a rare character meaning "protein" (also with 月) but has a different right component 元 (yuan). 朋 means "friend" and consists of two 月 radicals side by side, with no relation to body parts. In writing, 胸 has an enclosed right part, while 朋 has two open 月 radicals.

胸 is used to talk about the chest area, both physically (e.g., 胸口 for the pit of the stomach) and metaphorically (e.g., 胸怀 for one's breadth of mind). It appears in medical, fitness, and emotional contexts. Culturally, phrases like 胸怀大志 (to have great ambitions) use 胸 to refer to one's inner thoughts or aspirations.

Common words containing 胸 include: 胸口 (xiōng kǒu) — the pit of the stomach; chest; 胸部 (xiōng bù) — chest; breast; thorax; 胸怀 (xiōng huái) — mind; breadth of mind; to cherish.