How to Write 点 (diǎn) — Meaning “point / dot / to order / o'clock”

Imagine that the top part 占 looks like a fortune-teller's board, and the bottom four dots (灬) are little points being placed on it. This helps you remember that 点 means 'point' or 'dot'—the dots you add to the board.

Start by writing the top component 占: a dot, then a vertical stroke, then the three strokes of the 'mouth' shape. Finish with four evenly spaced dots from left to right at the bottom. A common mistake is making the top part too wide or crowding the bottom dots together.

点 has the top part 占, while 烈 has 列 (meaning 'arrange' or 'fierce') and 烝 has 丞 (meaning 'to assist' or 'steam'). In meaning, 点 is a point or to order, 烈 means intense or fierce (as in fire), and 烝 refers to steaming. Visually, their top components are completely different.

点 is very common in daily life: for telling time (一点 means 'one o'clock'), expressing quantity (一点 means 'a little'), and actions like ordering food (点菜) or nodding (点头). It is an HSK 1 character and appears frequently in menus, schedules, and conversations.

Common words containing 点 include: 点菜 (diǎn cài) — to order food; 一点 (yì diǎn) — a little; a bit; one o'clock; 点头 (diǎn tóu) — to nod.