How to Write 翊 (yì) — Meaning “to assist or help”

Picture a bird (羽) standing (立) beside a friend to help them fly. The left side looks like two wings, and the right side is a person standing upright—imagine the wings supporting that person, so 翊 means 'to assist'.

Write the left radical 羽 with its horizontal strokes slightly slanted upward, and the right part 立 with a wide top horizontal line. A common mistake is making the left side too wide—keep it narrow so the whole character balances well.

翊 (yì) means 'to assist', while 羿 (yì) is a name of a mythical archer and has 羽 with 廾 (two hands). 翁 (wēng) means 'old man' and has 羽 on top with 公 below. Visually, 翊 has 立 on the right, 羿 has 廾, and 翁 has 公.

翊 is a formal, literary character mainly found in classical expressions like 翊赞 (to assist and support) or 翊戴 (to support a ruler). It is not common in everyday conversation but appears in names and historical texts, often to convey a sense of respectful assistance.

Common words containing 翊 include: 翊赞 (yì zàn) — to assist and support; 翊戴 (yì dài) — to support (a ruler); 翊卫 (yì wèi) — imperial guard; to protect.