How to Write 仰 (yǎng) — Meaning “to look up / to admire”

Imagine a person (亻) standing in a field, tilting their head far back to look up at the sky. The right side 卬 looks like a person with a bent neck, reinforcing the idea of raising the head. This visual will help you recall that 仰 means both looking up and admiring.

Write the left radical 亻 first with two strokes: a short vertical and then a left-falling stroke. Then the right side 卬 begins with a horizontal hook, followed by a vertical stroke, and finishes with a long left-falling stroke that ends like a right-falling one – do not confuse it with 卩. Keep the left side narrow and the right side slightly wider so the character balances evenly.

The key difference is the right-hand component: 仰 has 卬, while 什 has 十 (ten) and 仁 has 二 (two). Visually, 仰 looks like a person raising their head, whereas 什 means "what" and 仁 means "benevolence." Remember: if the right side is not a simple number, it is likely 仰.

仰 appears in common words like 信仰 (faith) and 仰望 (to look up at or admire). It is often used in formal or written contexts, for example, when expressing admiration for someone's character or when looking up at stars. Culturally, 仰望 also conveys a sense of respect and aspiration, which is why it frequently appears in philosophical or inspirational texts.

Common words containing 仰 include: 仰头 (yǎng tóu) — to raise one's head; 信仰 (xìn yǎng) — belief; faith; creed; 仰望 (yǎng wàng) — to look up at / to admire.