How to Write 厌 (yàn) — Meaning “to loathe; to be tired of”

Imagine a dog (犬) trapped under a cliff (厂) and getting very annoyed — it "yans" (sounds like "yawns") because it is tired of being stuck. Another trick is to think of the pinyin "yàn" as the sound you make when you are fed up: "Yan!".

Write the radical 厂 first: a horizontal stroke, then a left-falling stroke. Inside, write 犬: horizontal, left-falling, right-falling, and finally the dot on the lower right. The dot is easy to forget, so be careful. Keep the dog part centered under the cliff, and don't make the cliff too tall.

厌 contains 犬 (dog), so it has a dot at the lower right. 仄 has 人 (person) inside, without any dot, and means 'oblique' or 'narrow'. 厃 is very rare and has a person inside too, but with an extra stroke; it means 'danger'. Remember: a dog with a dot = dislike (厌), a person without a dot = narrow (仄).

厌 appears in common words like 讨厌 (to dislike), 厌倦 (to be tired of), and 厌食 (loss of appetite). It expresses strong negative feelings. Note that in casual conversation, 讨厌 can also be used playfully, like when a girl says "你好讨厌" to a guy flirting, meaning something like "You're so annoying (but cute)."

Common words containing 厌 include: 讨厌 (tǎo yàn) — To dislike or find annoying; 厌倦 (yàn juàn) — to be weary of; to be tired of; 厌食 (yàn shí) — anorexia; loss of appetite.