How to Write 陈 (chén) — Meaning “to state / old / (a common surname)”

Imagine a hill (阝) in the east (东) where people gather to make announcements or 'state' news. This picture connects the components to the character's meanings: 'to state' and as a common surname.

Write 阝 first: a horizontal fold (㇆) then a vertical stroke (丨); next write 东: start with the horizontal (一), then a horizontal fold hook (㇅), a vertical hook (亅), and finally two small dots (冫). Keep the left radical narrow and the right part slightly wider to balance the character.

邗 (hán) and 邘 (yú) are rare place-name characters, while 陈 (chén) is a very common surname and also means 'to state' or 'old'. Visually, 陈 has 东 on the right, whereas 邗 has 干 and 邘 has 于; they all share the 阝 radical but differ in the right component.

陈 is most frequently used as a surname (Chen) for one of the most common family names in China. It also appears in words like 陈旧 (old-fashioned) and 陈列 (to display), and is used in formal contexts such as 'to state' in reports or announcements.

Common words containing 陈 include: 陈旧 (chén jiù) — old-fashioned / obsolete; 陈列 (chén liè) — to display / to exhibit; 陈老师 (chén lǎo shī) — Teacher Chen.