How to Write 徇 (xùn) — Meaning “to follow; to comply with”

Picture a person walking step by step (彳) through a ten-day schedule (旬) — they are following the plan exactly. This image of sticking to a timeline helps you recall that 徇 means "to follow" or "to comply."

Start with the left radical 彳: write two short left-falling strokes then a vertical line, keeping it narrow. Then write 旬: first the envelope 勹 (left-falling and a horizontal hook), then 日 inside; do not make the 彳 too wide or the 日 too big, and ensure the total nine strokes are balanced.

徇 appears in formal or written expressions, particularly in phrases like 徇私 (show favoritism for personal gain) and 徇职 (die in the line of duty). It often carries a moral tone — either negative (acting for private reasons) or positive (devotion to duty) — and is not common in everyday speech.

Common words containing 徇 include: 徇私 (xùn sī) — to practice favoritism; to act for private gain; 徇情 (xùn qíng) — to show favoritism; to act out of personal considerations; 徇职 (xùn zhí) — to die in the line of duty; to devote oneself to duty.