How to Write 越 (yuè) — Meaning “To cross; the more... (the more...)”

Imagine you are walking (走) with an axe (戉) to chop through obstacles, so you can 'cross' over them. Picturing the axe helping you move forward links the shape to the meaning 'to cross'.

Write the left radical 走 first (7 strokes), then the right part 戉 (5 strokes). A common mistake is making the diagonal hook in 戉 too straight—it should curve slightly downward. Keep the two sides balanced in height; the right part should not be too tall or too short.

All three use the 走 radical, but the right sides differ. 越 has 戉, 赶 has 干 (meaning 'dry' or 'to do'), and 起 has 己 (meaning 'self'). In meaning, 越 is about crossing or exceeding, 赶 is about catching up or hurrying, and 起 is about rising or starting.

越 is very common in the pattern 越 A 越 B, meaning 'the more A, the more B', like 越多越好 (the more the better). It also appears in the country name 越南 (Vietnam), which historically refers to lands 'south of the Yue'—an ancient Chinese name for peoples in that region.

Common words containing 越 include: 越多越好 (yuè duō yuè hǎo) — The more the better; 越快越好 (yuè kuài yuè hǎo) — The faster the better; 越南 (yuè nán) — Vietnam.