How to Write 恿 (yǒng) — Meaning “To instigate or egg on.”

Think of the sound 'yǒng' like 'young,' and picture a young person being egged on by friends. Alternatively, visualize a brave person (勇) whose heart (心) is being pushed to do something reckless.

Write the top part 勇 first, keeping the 力 and 田 balanced, then add the bottom 心 centered under it. Common mistakes include making the 心 too small or placing it off-center, which makes the character look unbalanced.

The top of 恿 is 勇 (bravery), while 怎 has 乍 (sudden) and 怒 has 奴 (slave). Their meanings are unrelated: 恿 means to instigate, 怎 means 'how,' and 怒 means 'anger.' Visually, the different top components are easy to spot.

恿 is almost always used in the compound 怂恿 (sǒng yǒng), meaning to instigate or egg someone on. It often carries a negative tone, describing someone who encourages another to do something wrong or risky, and is more common in written or formal speech.

Common words containing 恿 include: 怂恿 (sǒng yǒng) — to instigate; to egg on; to incite; 怂恿者 (sǒng yǒng zhě) — instigator; one who eggs others on; 被怂恿 (bèi sǒng yǒng) — To be egged on or instigated.