How to Write 歔 (xū) — Meaning “To sigh or sob”

Think of a person (虚) who feels empty inside, and they express this by opening their mouth (欠) to sigh. Visualize the left side 虚 as a cloud of emptiness, and the right side 欠 as a mouth letting out a long, sad breath. This image links the character's shape to its meaning of sighing or sobbing.

Pay special attention to the left component 虚: it has seven strokes, and the bottom part is 业 with a short horizontal line inside, not the character 业 itself. On the right, the radical 欠 has four strokes, and the final stroke is a slight "nà" (right-falling stroke) that should not cross the horizontal stroke above it. Keep both halves balanced, with the left slightly wider than the right.

While 歔 (xū) means "to sigh or sob," 歉 (qiàn) means "to apologize" or "poor harvest" and contains 兼 (both) and 欠 (deficiency), focusing on lacking something. 歌 (gē) means "song" or "to sing" and combines 可 (can) with 欠 (mouth), emphasizing joyful vocal expression. Visually, 歔 has 虚 on the left, while 歉 has 兼 and 歌 has 可, making them easy to distinguish by the left component.

The character 歔 is very rare in modern daily language and appears mostly in classical literature or poetic texts. It is found in words like 歔欷 (xū xī, "to sob or sigh") and 歔叹 (xū tàn, "to sigh"), which express deep emotion. You might encounter it in historical novels or formal writing, but learners are unlikely to need it for everyday conversation.

Common words containing 歔 include: 歔欷 (xū xī) — To sob or sigh; 歔叹 (xū tàn) — To sigh; 歔唏 (xū xī) — To sob or sigh.