How to Write 痒 (yǎng) — Meaning “itchy; itch”

Imagine a sheep (羊) that gets sick (疒) and develops an annoying itch all over its woolly body. The sheep keeps scratching against a tree, which helps you link the shape to the meaning 'itchy'.

Write the radical 疒 first: dot, then left-falling stroke, then two dots inside. Then write 羊: start with three horizontal strokes from top to bottom, then a vertical stroke down the middle, and finally two short strokes on the sides. A common mistake is to add an extra stroke to the left side of 羊, so remember that the right part has exactly three horizontals and one vertical.

All three share the radical 疒, but their right parts differ. 痒 has 羊 (sheep) and means 'itch'. 疣 has 尤 (especially) and means 'wart' (a small skin growth). 疤 has 巴 (to hope/cling) and means 'scar'. Visually, 痒 has a tall right component with three horizontals, while 疣 has a curved stroke on top and 疤 has a smaller square-like part.

痒 is used for any physical itching, such as from mosquito bites, allergies, or skin conditions, in words like 发痒 (to feel itchy) and 止痒 (to relieve itching). In Chinese medicine, 'itching' is often linked to wind or heat in the body, and you may see 止痒 on creams or lotions for treating skin irritation.

Common words containing 痒 include: 发痒 (fā yǎng) — to itch; to feel itchy; 止痒 (zhǐ yǎng) — Relieve itching; 抓痒 (zhuā yǎng) — Scratch an itch.