How to Write 疑 (yí) — Meaning “To doubt; to suspect; question”

Imagine a suspicious person holding a spoon (匕) in one hand and an arrow (矢) in the other, while stepping away with a wobbly foot (疋). This strange, unbalanced figure looks like someone who doubts everything around them. You can remember 疑 as "suspicious tools on an unsteady foot."

Write the left part (匕) first, then the right part (矢), and finally the bottom 疋. Pay attention to the bottom part: 疋 has 5 strokes and should be wide enough to support the upper components. A common mistake is making the top too big or forgetting to include the small horizontal stroke inside 匕.

Although both 疑 and 疏 share the same radical 疋, they have different meanings and pronunciations. 疑 (yí) means "to doubt," while 疏 (shū) means "to sparse," "to neglect," or "to dredge." Visually, 疑 has components 匕 and 矢 on top, whereas 疏 has 㐬 (a flowing river or hair) on the left and 疋 as a bottom-right component.

疑 appears in everyday words like 疑问 (question/doubt) and 怀疑 (to suspect). It is often used in formal or written contexts, such as in legal or medical reports, e.g., 怀疑感染 (suspected infection). Culturally, Chinese people value trust (信), so 疑 often carries a slightly negative tone, implying uncertainty or lack of confidence.

Common words containing 疑 include: 疑问 (yí wèn) — Question; doubt; query; 怀疑 (huái yí) — to doubt; to suspect; skepticism; 疑心 (yí xīn) — Suspicion; to be suspicious.