How to Write 澶 (chán) — Meaning “Still water / Deep”

Imagine a calm lake (氵) with a deep, sincere heart (亶) resting at the bottom — the heart shape you can see in the middle of 亶. This picture reminds you that 澶 means water that is both deep and tranquil.

Write the three dots of 氵 first, then the right side 亶. In 亶, keep the top 口 narrow and the bottom 旦 with parallel horizontal strokes; a common mistake is making the top look like 日 instead of 口. Make sure the character is balanced, with the water radical taking about one-third of the width.

滕 (téng) means "to rise" or "vine" and has a different right side (related to 马 and water), while 滴 (dī) means "drip" and has 啇 on the right. 澶 focuses on stillness and depth, so visually remember its flat top (口) versus the more complex shapes of the other two.

澶 is very rare today and appears mainly in the historical place name 澶渊 (Chanyuan), referring to the 1005 Treaty of Chanyuan between Song and Liao. You might also see it in classical poetry describing vast, calm waters, but it is not used in everyday speech.

Common words containing 澶 include: 澶渊 (chán yuān) — Chanyuan (place name); 澶漫 (chán màn) — Vast / Extensive; 澶湉 (chán tián) — Calm and tranquil (of water).