How to Write 谊 (yì) — Meaning “friendship”

Imagine a speech bubble (讠) next to a house with a roof (宜). Picture yourself inside that house saying friendly words to a guest. This helps you remember that 谊 means friendship built through warm conversation.

Write the left radical 讠 first as a dot and then a horizontal turning stroke. Then write the right part 宜: top dot, then a pointy roof (a short left-falling stroke and a horizontal hook), then two horizontal lines inside, and finally a bottom horizontal line. A common mistake is forgetting the top dot on 宜, so always include it.

谊 (friendship) has the right part 宜, which looks like a house with a roof. 诓 (to deceive) uses 匡, which is a box-like shape, and 诔 (a eulogy) uses 耒, which looks like a plow. Their meanings are very different: 谊 is positive, while 诓 is negative and 诔 is formal.

谊 is common in words like 友谊 (friendship) and 情谊 (emotional bond), often in formal or written Chinese. It appears in phrases such as 深情厚谊 (deep and lasting friendship), and reflects the high value placed on sincere, long-term relationships in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 谊 include: 友谊 (yǒu yì) — Friendship.; 情谊 (qíng yì) — Friendship; 交谊 (jiāo yì) — friendship; social relations.