How to Write 觯 (zhì) — Meaning “ancient wine vessel”

Picture a single (单) horn-shaped cup (角) used for toasting at a feast. Imagine raising your "single horn cup" and saying "Cheers!" — this links the shape of 角 and the sound "zhì" to the meaning of an ancient wine vessel.

Make sure the left radical 角 has the correct number of strokes (7): start with the top part (⺈), then the horizontal, and finish with the inner 用. The right side 单 must not be too wide; keep it balanced so the whole character is compact. A common mistake is forgetting the small horizontal stroke inside 角.

While 觯 (zhì) means a wine vessel, 觜 (zī) refers to a bird's beak or mouth, and 解 (jiě) means to untie or separate. Visually, 觯 has 单 on the right, 觜 has 此 (cǐ) below, and 解 uses 刀 (knife) and 牛 (cow) on the right. Their meanings are completely unrelated.

Today 觯 is rare and mostly appears in historical or archaeological contexts describing ancient bronze or ritual vessels. You might see it in museum labels or classical Chinese texts, but it is not used in everyday conversation. Learning it helps you understand ancient Chinese drinking culture and artifacts.

Common words containing 觯 include: 酒觯 (jiǔ zhì) — ancient wine cup; 举觯 (jǔ zhì) — To raise a wine goblet.; 铜觯 (tóng zhì) — Bronze zhi (ancient wine vessel).