How to Write 疐 (zhì) — Meaning “To stumble; to be hindered”

Picture a field (田) where you drag your feet (夊) and trip on a rock. The bottom part 夊 looks like a foot that has just stumbled, with the top part being the ground. This visual will help you recall that 疐 means to stumble or be hindered.

Write the top 田 first (7 strokes), then the bottom 夊 (7 strokes). The bottom part is easy to confuse with 夂 (3 strokes) — remember that 夊 has an extra horizontal stroke and a dot. Common mistakes include writing the bottom as 夂 or misplacing the dot; the dot should be on the left side of the final stroke.

疐 contains 夊 (dragging feet) at the bottom, while 番 has 釆 (separate or distinguish) and 畬 has 余 (surplus). Visually, 疐's bottom is more angular with a right-falling stroke and a dot, unlike the symmetrical 釆 in 番 or the 余 in 畬. In meaning, 疐 is about stumbling or obstacles, 番 means foreign or a time, and 畬 refers to a type of field.

疐 is a rare character, mostly found in classical or literary contexts. It appears in the idiom 进退维疐 (jìn tuì wéi zhì), which means "in a dilemma" (like being between a rock and a hard place). You will not see it in everyday conversation, but it can appear in formal writing or historical texts.

Common words containing 疐 include: 疐碍 (zhì ài) — Obstacle; hindrance; 疐踬 (zhì zhì) — To stumble; to falter; 进退维疐 (jìn tuì wéi zhì) — In a dilemma / Between a rock and a hard place.