How to Write 惦 (diàn) — Meaning “to think of; to keep in mind”

Picture yourself standing in front of a shop (店) with a worried heart (忄), because you forgot to pick up an important package inside. The heart reminds you that this feeling is emotional, and the shop helps you remember the sound diàn. So you "keep the shop in mind" whenever you see 惦.

When writing 惦, the left radical 忄 has the vertical stroke written second (after the left dot) and is straight, not curved. The right part 店 has a wide roof (广) covering the 占 below, and the 占 should be centered under the roof. A common mistake is making the heart radical too big or forgetting the dot on the upper left of the roof.

惦 (diàn) means to think of with concern or worry, while 恂 (xún) means sincere or fearful, and 恃 (shì) means to rely on or depend on. Visually, 惦 has 店 on the right, 恂 has 旬 (ten days/period) on the right, and 恃 has 寺 (temple) on the right. Their meanings are unrelated, so focus on the right-side component to tell them apart.

Native speakers use 惦 in phrases like 惦记 (diàn jì) to express being concerned about someone who is far away or a task left unfinished, and 惦念 (diàn niàn) for a deeper, more emotional missing of someone. It is common in daily conversation and letters, for example saying “我一直惦记着你” (I've been thinking of you with concern). It is not used in very formal writing, but it is a warm, caring word.

Common words containing 惦 include: 惦记 (diàn jì) — to remember with concern; 惦念 (diàn niàn) — to worry about; to keep thinking about; 挂惦 (guà diàn) — to miss; to be concerned about.