How to Write 颖 (yǐng) — Meaning “clever / gifted / glume”

Think of a grain plant (禾) with a very sharp head (页) that pokes out of a bag—this is the idiom 脱颖而出 (to stand out). The sharp tip represents cleverness, so you can remember 颖 as "the smart grain head" that rises above others.

Keep the left 禾 narrow and change its last stroke (a 捺) into a dot so it doesn't crowd the right side. The right part 页 must be wide, and its second stroke (竖撇) should be straight, not curved, while the bottom two strokes should form a balanced "八" shape. A common mistake is making the left side too big or misplacing the dot stroke.

颖 has 禾 (grain) on the left, whereas 颅 has 卢 (a different phonetic component) and 领 has 令 (order). Their meanings are distinct: 颖 means clever or glume, 颅 means skull, and 领 means neck, collar, or to lead. Visually, the left part of each character is unique, so focus on that key difference to avoid confusion.

颖 appears in common words like 新颖 (novel; innovative) for new ideas or designs, and 聪颖 (bright; gifted) to describe intelligence. The idiom 脱颖而出 (to stand out) is used when someone reveals their talent and gets noticed—it's a positive phrase often used in career or academic contexts.

Common words containing 颖 include: 聪颖 (cōng yǐng) — bright; gifted; 新颖 (xīn yǐng) — novel; original; innovative; 脱颖而出 (tuō yǐng ér chū) — to stand out; to reveal one's talent.