How to Write 忮 (zhì) — Meaning “jealous; stubborn; aggressive”

Picture a heart (忄) being poked or stabbed by a sharp branch (支). The pain makes you feel jealous and aggressive toward others. This violent image helps link the character to its meanings of jealousy and stubbornness.

Keep the left radical 忄 narrow and tall, with the vertical stroke straight. The right side 支 should be slightly wider; ensure the top "十" is not too large and the bottom "又" has a balanced curve. A common mistake is making the left heart radical too wide, which throws off the proportion.

忉 (dāo) means sorrow or worry and uses 刀 (knife) as its phonetic, giving a sense of cutting sadness. 忏 (chàn) means to repent and uses 千 (thousand) as phonetic. In contrast, 忮 focuses on negative traits like jealousy and aggression, and its right side 支 carries the idea of something branching or poking.

忮 is quite rare in everyday language but appears in literary or classical contexts, especially in set phrases like 不忮不求 (neither envious nor greedy). You might encounter it in older texts or formal writing to describe a harsh or jealous personality, but modern speakers rarely use it alone.

Common words containing 忮 include: 不忮不求 (bù zhì bù qiú) — neither envious nor greedy; 忮刻 (zhì kè) — jealous and harsh; cruel; 忮求 (zhì qiú) — to seek greedily; to be aggressive in pursuit.