How to Write 齄 (zhā) — Meaning “Rosacea; red nose”

Imagine a tiger (虍) sitting at a table (且) drinking wine, causing its nose to turn bright red. This image connects the right-side components to the meaning of rosacea on the nose. The nose radical 鼻 on the left reminds you the redness is on the nose.

Write the left side 鼻 first, with careful proportions—it should be tall and narrow. Then write the right side: first the top part 虍 (tiger radical) with a curved hook, then the bottom part 且. A common mistake is making the right side too wide, which throws off the balance of this 23-stroke character.

The most common expression is 酒齄鼻 (jiǔ zhā bí), which means rosacea or brandy nose, often associated with heavy drinking. 齄鼻 (zhā bí) and 齄红 (zhā hóng) are also used in medical or descriptive contexts. These terms appear mainly in dermatology or when describing facial redness.

齄 is a very rare character, used almost exclusively in medical terms for rosacea (酒齄鼻). It is not part of HSK and seldom appears in daily life. Culturally, rosacea is sometimes linked to excessive alcohol consumption, which is why 酒齄鼻 is also called "brandy nose."

Common words containing 齄 include: 酒齄鼻 (jiǔ zhā bí) — rosacea / brandy nose; 齄鼻 (zhā bí) — Rosacea; brandy nose; 齄红 (zhā hóng) — Redness of the nose; rosacea.