How to Write 噔 (dēng) — Meaning “thud; thump”

Picture someone climbing stairs (登) and each step makes a loud thump — the mouth (口) on the left reminds you it's a sound. So think 'climbing with a thump' to recall 噔.

The right side 登 has five strokes in the top part: two dots, then a horizontal stroke, then a short left-falling stroke, and a dot. Be careful not to connect the 口 radical too closely to 登; leave a small gap. The bottom of 登 has a large horizontal stroke and a long left-falling stroke, which should extend slightly below the left 口.

㕡 is a rare character meaning 'sound of splitting wood' and uses 霍 on the right, not 登. 喿 means 'noise' or 'clamor' and has three mouths (品) on top of 木. In contrast, 噔 specifically describes heavy, rhythmic thuds like footsteps or knocks, and its visual key is the combination of 口 and 登.

You will most often see 噔 in the reduplicated form 噔噔 (dēng dēng) to describe the sound of heavy footsteps or knocking, like 'thump-thump'. It also appears in phrases like 噔的一声 (with a thud) in narratives or comics to add vivid sound effects. This character is not part of HSK vocabulary but is commonly used in informal or onomatopoeic contexts.

Common words containing 噔 include: 噔噔 (dēng dēng) — thump-thump (sound of footsteps or knocking); 噔的一声 (dēng de yī shēng) — with a thud sound; 噔地 (dēng dì) — with a thud.