How to Write 菪 (dàng) — Meaning “Henbane (root character)”

Imagine grass (艹) growing over a stone (石) under a roof (宀) – this forms 宕. Think of a henbane plant that grows near stones, and the stone reminds you of its hard seed. This visual helps you recall the components and the meaning.

Write the top grass radical first: two horizontal strokes then left and right verticals. The lower part 宕 starts with the roof (宀) then the stone (石); make sure the stone is centered and not too wide. A common mistake is writing the 石 too large or forgetting the dot inside.

菪 has 宕 below, while 苧 has 宁 (níng) below and means ramie plant. 兹 has 玄 below and means 'this' or 'now'. So the key difference is the bottom component: 宕 (rock under roof) for henbane, 宁 for ramie, and 玄 for another word.

菪 is rarely used alone; it appears in the compound word 莨菪 (làng dàng) meaning henbane, a toxic plant. It is also found in medical terms like 莨菪碱 (hyoscyamine), used in medicine for spasms. It is not common in daily speech, mostly in botanical or pharmaceutical contexts.

Common words containing 菪 include: 莨菪 (làng dàng) — henbane (a medicinal plant); 莨菪碱 (làng dàng jiǎn) — hyoscyamine; 莨菪子 (làng dàng zi) — henbane seed.