How to Write 亶 (dǎn) — Meaning “sincere; true”

Imagine a sincere person who, at dawn (旦), opens their mouth (口) under a clear lid (亠) to speak honestly — nothing is covered up. This scene links the three parts to the meaning "sincere and true." The word "Dan" (pinyin dǎn) sounds like "dawn," which matches the bottom component 旦.

Write the top radical 亠 first (dot then horizontal line), then the middle 口 as a narrow box, and finally the bottom 旦 with its sun stroke starting just below the box. A common mistake is making the middle 口 too wide or misaligning the bottom 旦, so keep all parts vertically centered and balanced. Remember the total is 13 strokes, and the bottom 旦 has four strokes.

亶 (dǎn) means "sincere" and consists of 亠 + 口 + 旦, while 亵 (xiè) means "disrespectful" and has the components 亠 + 执 + 衣. Visually, 亵 has a more complex middle part (执) and a clothing radical (衣) at the bottom, whereas 亶 uses 口 and 旦. Their meanings are opposites — one positive, one negative — and they are pronounced differently.

亶 is a rare character in modern Chinese, mostly found in classical texts or formal written expressions like 亶诚 (dǎn chéng, "sincere and honest") and 亶厚 (dǎn hòu, "sincere and generous"). A notable cultural reference is 亶父 (dǎn fù), the grandfather of King Wen of Zhou, an important figure in early Chinese history. You will not encounter it in everyday conversation but may see it in literary or historical contexts.

Common words containing 亶 include: 亶诚 (dǎn chéng) — sincere and honest; 亶厚 (dǎn hòu) — sincere and generous; 亶父 (dǎn fù) — Danfu (grandfather of King Wen of Zhou).