Chinese character 偎

It means to nestle, lean close, or cling to someone or something.

An early literary example appears in the received Classic of Mountains and Seas, an old Chinese work: 偎 describes people who love one another. A 2024 entry in Taiwan’s Ministry of Education character dictionary notes that 偎 is absent from Shuowen Jiezi, an early Chinese character dictionary, and cites the later Yupian for the gloss “love.” Around 842, the Tang-era poet Wen Tingyun used 偎 for a boat resting against spring grass.

Its written form pairs 亻, the person component, with 畏, which cues the sound.

What does 偎 mean in a message?

By itself, 偎 does not tell you which language or sense is intended.

In Mandarin, 依偎 describes someone nestling against another person or thing; 偎依 is another form. 偎山傍水 applies the same closeness to scenery. In a literary line such as 偎他, it can mean coax or comfort him.

Japanese dictionaries list it as a kanji outside Japan’s everyday-use list, with senses such as clinging, cuddling, or embracing. Korean Hanja dictionaries—Hanja are Chinese characters used in Korean—also list senses including approaching and embracing. In Hokkien, a Southern Min language, dictionary entries record 偎 as an alternate written form in dialect use; these uses are language-specific, so a Mandarin reading will not decode every message.

How should I type 偎?

Use the input method for the language you are writing in.

For Mandarin pinyin, enter wei and select 偎; if the candidate list is crowded, enter yiwei to find 依偎. For Japanese or Korean text, switch to that language’s input mode. A square box on screen means the font lacks this glyph.