How to Write 殪 (yì) — Meaning “to kill; to die”

Imagine 歹 as a gravestone, and 壹 as a single arrow (一) inside a container (豆). The picture is that one arrow (一) in a box (豆) at a grave (歹) represents "killing with a single arrow" (一箭殪之). This connects the shape to its meaning of death or extermination.

Pay special attention to the right side: 壹 has a top part 士, then a middle 口, and a bottom 豆. A common mistake is to confuse the upper 士 with 土. Also, the radical 歹 on the left has a short horizontal stroke at the top; make sure it is not written as a full line. Balance the left and right sides so they are roughly equal in height.

殪 (yì) means to kill or die violently, often in battle or by force, while 殡 (bìn) means a funeral or to encoffin a corpse. Visually, 殪 uses 壹 on the right, whereas 殡 uses 宾 (bīn). In usage, 殪 is rare and literary, while 殡 appears in modern terms like 殡仪馆 (funeral home).

殪 is a very formal, literary character rarely used in everyday speech. It appears in classical texts or set phrases like 一箭殪之 (kill with one arrow) or 歼殪 (exterminate). You might encounter it in historical novels, poetry, or martial arts stories, but not in casual conversation.

Common words containing 殪 include: 殪没 (yì méi) — to perish; to die; 歼殪 (jiān yì) — To exterminate; to annihilate; 一箭殪之 (yī jiàn yì zhī) — to kill with a single arrow.