How to Write 荡 (dàng) — Meaning “To swing; to sway; to ripple”

Imagine a swing made of grass (艹) hanging over a bowl of soup (汤). As you push the swing, the soup ripples and sways. This picture helps you remember that 荡 means to swing or to ripple.

Write the grass radical (艹) first with a wide horizontal stroke. The bottom part 汤 has three dots on the left and a right side with 日 and two short horizontals. A common mistake is to forget the two horizontals, so make sure the right side is not just 日.

Visually, 荡 has the bottom part 汤 (soup), while 兹 has a different bottom (like 玄) and means "now" or "this." 芈 is a rare character with a completely different shape and is used only in names. The key difference is the bottom component: 荡’s bottom is 汤.

荡 appears in common words like 荡秋千 (to play on a swing) and 动荡 (unrest or turbulence). It is also used in 游荡 (to roam around). Culturally, 荡秋千 is a favorite activity at spring festivals, and 动荡 often describes political or social instability.

Common words containing 荡 include: 荡秋千 (dàng qiū qiān) — To play on a swing; 动荡 (dòng dàng) — unrest; turbulence; instability; 游荡 (yóu dàng) — To loiter or roam about.