How to Write 展 (zhǎn) — Meaning “To unfold; to exhibit.”

Imagine a person lying flat (like the 尸 radical) under a roof (the bottom part) while opening a large map or scroll to show it. This image of unfolding under a roof helps recall the meaning of "to unfold" or "to exhibit."

Pay attention to the horizontal strokes in the bottom part: the first horizontal stroke is long and goes beyond the left edge of 尸, while the following strokes are shorter. A common mistake is making the 尸 radical too wide or confusing the bottom with 衣; keep the bottom compact and balanced.

屄 (bī) is a vulgar character that contains 穴 on top instead of 尸, and it means a female body part — completely different in meaning and never used in polite contexts. 居 (jū) means "to live" or "to reside" and has a different bottom part (古), while 展 focuses on spreading or showing something.

展 is commonly used in words like 展览 (exhibition) and 发展 (development). In China, going to an art 展览 (exhibition) is a popular cultural activity, and the word 发展 appears frequently in business and government contexts to talk about growth or progress.

Common words containing 展 include: 展览 (zhǎn lǎn) — Exhibition.; 发展 (fā zhǎn) — Development; to develop; 展示 (zhǎn shì) — To show; to display..