Writing Balance Rule: The top roof structure must span wide over the lower elements to maintain visual balance, keeping the center of gravity stable.
1. Meaning
danger, perilous, to endanger
surname Weiprecarious
Adjective / NounNeutral#safety#status#abstract state
Sample Usage
危险
wēi xiǎn
dangerous
危机
wēi jī
crisis
2. Sound
/[weɪ̯⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
危
wēiwei1
|
++
¯(55)
=wēi
Initial Consonant
w
Type: Labio-Velar Glide (Zero Initial)
Sounds like: w
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Round lips tightly before gliding into vowel.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Round lips and raise back of tongue toward soft palate, gliding into vowel.
Final Rhyme
ei
Vowel Group: -e vowel group
Sounds like: ei rhymes with the 'ay' sound in the English word 'day'.
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ay'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is high and level, comparable to singing a sustained high note on the pitch of your voice.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the first tone pitch contour with a rising tone (Tone 2). Keep it steady and high without dipping or climbing.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 1 is a high, level pitch held flat like a steady humming note at the top of your vocal range. Make a flat horizontal hand gesture.
3. Writing
Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 6 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The top roof structure must span wide over the lower elements to maintain visual balance, keeping the center of gravity stable.
4. Components
Radical卩 · seal / knife radical (kneeling person or seal)
Semantic Clue (形旁):卩 (Represents a person in a precarious kneeling posture)
Picture a person perched precariously on a cliff edge, looking down at danger below.
厂 cliff
人 person
卩 kneeling figure
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
5· Phonetic Root: 危 (wēi)
5. History
Liushu category: Compound ideogram (会意)
Origin: Oracle bone inscriptions show a person on top of a cliff, looking down with fearful posture, depicting an inherently dangerous situation.
Semantic Evolution: Originally depicted standing on a cliff edge (danger); later generalized to mean peril, precariousness, and causing harm or endangering.
In classical texts, it often contrasts with '安' (ān - safety/peace).
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: イ (i) / Kun: あぶ.ない (abunai), あやう.い (ayaui)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
위
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
A person (人) standing on a steep cliff (厂) kneeling down in fear (卩)—it is extremely dangerous (wēi)!
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
桅
wéimast (of a ship)Add wood radical (木) for the wooden mast of a ship.
跪
guìto kneelAdd foot radical (足) for kneeling.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
巳(sì)
巳 is closed at the bottom (sixth earthly branch), whereas the bottom of 危 features a person kneeling under a cliff.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
开车不系安全带非常[___]。
Clue: wēi xiǎn
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the order of components at the top or mixing up the cliff element with similar-looking radicals.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What is the meaning and pronunciation of 危?
Production: How do you write the character for 'danger / precarious' (wēi)?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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危wēidanger
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