How to Write 殚 (dān) — Meaning “to exhaust; to use up”

Think of the sound "dan" like "done" — when you exhaust something, you are "done" with it. The left part 歹 (bad) and right part 单 (single) can remind you: after using up everything down to a single item, the result is bad or empty. Picture yourself finishing all your food until only one single crumb is left — you have exhausted it.

The left radical 歹 has 4 strokes: start with a horizontal stroke, then a left-falling stroke, then a turning stroke (横撇), and finally a dot. The right side 单 has 8 strokes; a common mistake is to write the top as a single dot and two short strokes instead of the correct dot, then a left-falling stroke, then a vertical line. Keep the left part narrower and the right part wider — both sections should be balanced vertically.

殚 (dān) means "to exhaust or use up" your strength or mind, while 殉 (xùn) means "to die for a cause or sacrifice" (like 殉国, dying for one's country). 殊 (shū) means "different" or "special," and it can also refer to death (as in 殊死, a desperate struggle). Visually, 殚 has 单 on the right, 殉 has 旬 (ten days), and 殊 has 朱 (red).

This character is not common in everyday conversation but appears in formal or literary Chinese, especially in idioms. For example, 殚精竭虑 means "to rack one's brains" or "to exhaust all one's mental energy," often used to describe deep dedication to solving a problem. It carries a tone of hard work and sacrifice, and you might see it in news articles or historical writing about scientists or officials.

Common words containing 殚 include: 殚力 (dān lì) — to exhaust one's strength; 殚心 (dān xīn) — to devote one's heart and soul; 殚精竭虑 (dān jīng jié lǜ) — to rack one's brains; to exhaust one's energy.