How to Write 郅 (zhì) — Meaning “Zhi (a surname / extreme)”

Imagine a person (至) climbing to the top of a hill (阝) to reach the extreme point. The character combines 'hill' and 'arrive' to suggest arriving at the highest, most extreme place.

Write the left radical 阝 first (two strokes: horizontal ear stroke then vertical), then the right part 至 (six strokes: horizontal, stroke group for 至). Common mistake: make sure the left radical is narrow and the right part is wider, and do not confuse the bottom of 至 (which is 土 with a horizontal stroke on top) as a separate component.

郅 (zhì) has 至 on the right and means 'extreme' or is a surname. 邠 (bīn) has 分 on the right and is an ancient place name. 邡 (fāng) has 方 on the right and is also a surname or place name. Visually, the right-side components differ: 至 vs 分 vs 方.

郅 is most commonly used as a surname, for example 郅先生 (Mr. Zhi). It also appears in literary terms like 郅治 (perfect governance) and in the nickname 大郅 for famous basketball player Wang Zhizhi. It is not common in everyday vocabulary but is recognizable due to its use in names.

Common words containing 郅 include: 郅先生 (zhì xiān shēng) — Mr. Zhi; 郅治 (zhì zhì) — perfect governance / ideal rule; 大郅 (dà zhì) — Wang Zhizhi (a famous basketball player).