How to Write 滇 (diān) — Meaning “short name for Yunnan Province”

Imagine a lake (氵) that is so beautiful and "true" (真) to nature that it represents the entire province of Yunnan. Think of the sound "dee-ahn" and picture a true lake in Yunnan called Dianchi.

Write the left radical 氵 first (dot, dot, lift), then the right part 真 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, dot, left-falling, right-falling). A common mistake is making the water radical too small or writing the right side with too many strokes — remember 真 has exactly 10 strokes inside.

滇 uses the right component 真 and specifically means Yunnan Province, while 涪 (fú) has 咅 on the right and refers to the Fu River in Sichuan. 涫 (guān) has 官 on the right and means 'boiling water' or 'to boil'. Visually, the right parts are distinct, and their meanings are completely unrelated.

滇 is used as an abbreviation for Yunnan Province in names like 滇池 (Dianchi Lake), 滇菜 (Yunnan cuisine), and 滇剧 (Yunnan opera). It appears in historical references to the ancient Dian Kingdom and is common in geography and culture contexts, though not in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 滇 include: 滇池 (diān chí) — Dianchi Lake; 滇菜 (diān cài) — Yunnan cuisine; 滇剧 (diān jù) — Dian Opera (Yunnan opera).