How to Write 澹 (dàn) — Meaning “Quiet / Tranquil”

Imagine a calm lake (氵 water) where a person named Zhan (詹) sits quietly, reflecting without a ripple. This peaceful scene helps link 澹 to its meaning of quiet and tranquil.

澹 has 16 strokes, and the left side 氵 should be written with three dots, the last one being a short diagonal stroke. The right side 詹 has multiple horizontal lines; be careful not to make the upper part too tall, and ensure the bottom 言 has all its strokes evenly spaced.

澹 (dàn) shares the 氵 radical with 滴 (dī, meaning ‘drip’) but has the complex right side 詹. 滕 (téng) looks similar but replaces 氵 with 月 (meat radical) and has a different meaning. Visually, 澹's right side has many horizontal strokes, while 滴's right side is 啇 (shang) with a simpler structure.

澹 is a literary character often found in classical idioms like 澹泊明志 (living simply to show high ideals). It appears in words describing a calm, indifferent attitude toward worldly success, such as 澹然 (calmly) and is rarely used in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 澹 include: 澹泊 (dàn pō) — Living a simple life / Indifferent to fame and fortune; 澹然 (dàn rán) — Calmly / Indifferently; 恬澹 (tián dàn) — quiet and indifferent.