How to Write 邀 (yāo) — Meaning “to invite”

Picture yourself walking (辶) up to a friend, throwing your arm around them, and saying "Yo!" (sounds like yāo) to invite them to a party. This combination of walking and the sound "yo" makes 邀 easy to recall as "to invite."

First write the inside component 敖 (10 strokes) completely, then add the walk radical 辶 (3 strokes) around it. A common mistake is to write the 辶 too wide or to forget the dot in 辶, so keep the radical compact and ensure the final dot is placed correctly.

邀 (to invite) uses the right part 敖, while 遭 (to encounter) uses 曹 and 遮 (to cover) uses 庶. Visually, 邀 has a simpler right side with 敖, whereas 遭 has a more complex 曹 under 辶, and 遮 has 庶 with a horizontal stroke across the top.

邀 is most common in the word 邀请 (yāo qǐng) for formal invitations in writing or speech, such as 邀请函 (invitation letter). It is also used in 特邀 (tè yāo) for specially invited guests, often in media or events. Culturally, using 邀请 shows politeness and respect, especially for formal gatherings.

Common words containing 邀 include: 邀请 (yāo qǐng) — to invite / invitation; 特邀 (tè yāo) — Specially invited; 邀功 (yāo gōng) — to take credit for oneself / to seek recognition.