How to Write 忖 (cǔn) — Meaning “To ponder”

Imagine your heart (忄) holding a tiny ruler (寸) and carefully measuring each thought. This picture of a heart using a ruler to measure ideas can help you remember that 忖 means 'to ponder' or 'to weigh in your mind.'

For the left radical 忄, write the two dots side by side, then a straight vertical line downward — do not make the dots too far apart. The right part 寸 begins with a horizontal stroke, then a curved hook, and ends with a dot inside the hook; a common mistake is forgetting the dot or making the hook too flat.

Visually, 忖 has the component 寸 (three strokes) on the right, while 忆 has 乙 (one stroke) and 忉 has 刀 (two strokes). In meaning, 忖 is about pondering or speculating, 忆 means 'to remember,' and 忉 means 'distressed' or 'grieved.'

忖 appears mainly in formal or literary Chinese, often in compounds like 忖度 (to surmise) or 思忖 (to consider). You will find it in written texts such as novels, essays, or classical Chinese references, but it is rarely used in everyday spoken conversation.

Common words containing 忖 include: 忖度 (cǔn duó) — To speculate / to surmise; 自忖 (zì cǔn) — to think to oneself; to ponder; 思忖 (sī cǔn) — to ponder; to consider.