How to Write 丹 (dān) — Meaning “red; vermilion; pellet; pill”

Picture a small red pill (the dot) sitting inside a tiny open box (the frame). The dot is bright red, reminding you that 丹 means 'red' and also a 'pellet' or 'pill'.

The stroke order is: left diagonal (丿), top horizontal (一), dot (丶), bottom horizontal (一). A common mistake is placing the dot too high or too low; it should be centered inside the frame to keep the character balanced.

丹 has a dot inside a frame, while 乂 is just two crossing strokes (like an X) and 乃 is a curved hook shape with no interior dot. In usage, 丹 means 'red' or 'pill', 乂 is rarely used alone, and 乃 means 'then' or 'your' in classical Chinese.

丹 appears in common words like 牡丹 (mǔ dān, peony flower), 丹麦 (Dān mài, Denmark), and 丹心 (dān xīn, loyal heart). Culturally, 丹 is associated with the color red, which symbolizes good fortune, and 丹心 represents sincere loyalty, often used in Chinese poetry and idioms.

Common words containing 丹 include: 牡丹 (mǔ dān) — peony; 丹麦 (dān mài) — Denmark; 丹心 (dān xīn) — loyal heart; sincerity.