How to Write 碇 (dìng) — Meaning “Anchor”

Picture a large stone (石) that is dropped into water to fix (定) a ship‘s position. Imagine the stone sitting firmly on the seabed, holding the boat still. This mental image links the shape of 石 on the left and 定 on the right to the concept of an anchor.

Pay attention to the left radical 石: it should be narrow and take only about one-third of the character width. The right part 定 has a small dot on top (一点) and a horizontal stroke (一) under it; do not forget this dot. A common mistake is making the 石 radical too large or misplacing the dot in 定, which changes the balance.

碇 uses 定 on the right and means anchor, while 砦 (zhài) has 此 (this) under 石 and means a fort or stockade. 硅 (guī) has 圭 (jade) as its right component and refers to the chemical element silicon. Visually, the lower parts differ: 碇 has 定 (with a dot and horizontal strokes), 砦 has 此, and 硅 has 圭.

碇 is mostly found in maritime or literary contexts, such as in words like 碇泊 (to anchor a ship) or 起碇 (to weigh anchor). It is not part of everyday conversation but appears in travel writing, historical novels, or technical descriptions about ships. In ancient China, anchors were large stones, so the character preserves that historical link.

Common words containing 碇 include: 碇泊 (dìng bó) — To anchor (a ship); 起碇 (qǐ dìng) — to weigh anchor; 碇石 (dìng shí) — Anchor stone.