How to Write 簟 (diàn) — Meaning “bamboo mat”

Imagine a bamboo mat (竹) that is used in the early morning (早) in the west (西) to keep cool. The bottom part 覃 contains 西 and 早, reminding you of a mat that is laid out west-side early in the day.

Write the top bamboo radical first (two small "个" shapes joined), then the bottom part 覃 with its many horizontal strokes. Keep the bottom strokes parallel and evenly spaced, and make sure the overall character is balanced — a common mistake is making the bottom section too tall compared to the top.

簟 means a flat bamboo mat, while 篙 (gāo) is a long bamboo pole for punting boats and 篚 (fěi) is a round bamboo basket. Visually, 簟 has many horizontal lines in its bottom part 覃, 篙 has 高 meaning "tall," and 篚 has a box-like component.

簟 is used to refer to bamboo mats, especially cooling mats (凉簟) placed on beds or floors during summer. It is more common in written or formal contexts and carries a cultural association with traditional Chinese summer life, though it is not frequently used in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 簟 include: 竹簟 (zhú diàn) — Bamboo mat; 簟子 (diàn zi) — bamboo mat; 凉簟 (liáng diàn) — bamboo cooling mat.