How to Write 萦 (yíng) — Meaning “to wind; to entwine; to linger”

Imagine a long vine (艹) growing over a small shelter (冖) and then wrapping silk threads (糸) around it — the vine "lingers" and "entwines" the shelter. This image helps you remember the meaning of winding or haunting. The key is linking the grass and silk components to the idea of twisting.

Write the top 艹 first (two vertical strokes after the horizontal), then the middle 冖 (a dot followed by a horizontal hook), and finally the bottom 糸. Be careful to make the 冖 narrow and centered, and ensure the 糸 has two clear 撇折 (slant-folds) before the final small strokes. A common mistake is writing the 冖 too wide, which makes the character unbalanced.

Unlike 萦, which has 糸 (silk) at the bottom, 兹 has 玄 (dark, mysterious) below the grass radical, and 苧 has 宁 (peace) at the bottom. Visually, 萦‘s bottom shows two slant-fold strokes and a dot, while 兹 has a more compact shape and 苧 includes a downward hook. In meaning, 萦 is about winding or lingering (e.g., 萦绕), 兹 means "this" or "now," and 苧 refers to a plant (ramie).

萦 appears in literary or poetic contexts, often in words like 萦绕 (to linger in the mind) and 萦怀 (to be on one's mind). It is not common in daily conversation but is used to describe emotions, memories, or thoughts that "wrap around" a person. For example, a haunting melody might be said to 萦绕 in your ears.

Common words containing 萦 include: 萦绕 (yíng rào) — to linger; to hover; to haunt; 萦怀 (yíng huái) — to be on one's mind; to linger in the heart; 萦系 (yíng xì) — to be concerned about; to be tied to.