How to Write 锻 (duàn) — Meaning “To forge; to temper”

Imagine a blacksmith (钅) hitting a piece of metal on an anvil with a hammer, breaking it into segments (段). The repeated hammering reminds you of "forging" and "tempering" metal into a stronger shape.

Pay attention to the 钅 radical: it has three horizontal strokes and a vertical hook, not a full "金". The right side 段 has 7 strokes; write the left vertical stroke first, then the short horizontal, then the long horizontal, and finish with the right component. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide — keep it narrow.

锻 (duàn) means "to forge" or "to temper" metal, often used for exercise (锻炼). 铓 (máng) is rare and means "sword tip" or "sharp edge". 铸 (zhù) means "to cast" metal by melting and pouring into a mold. Visually, 锻 has the right side 段, while 铓 has 亡 and 铸 has 寿.

锻 is most common in the word 锻炼 (duànliàn) meaning "exercise" or "work out," both for physical fitness and mental training. It reflects a cultural idea of strengthening oneself through discipline, like tempering steel. It also appears in 锻造 (metal forging) and 锻工 (blacksmith work).

Common words containing 锻 include: 锻炼 (duàn liàn) — To exercise; to work out; 锻造 (duàn zào) — To forge; forging; 锻工 (duàn gōng) — Forging; smithing; blacksmith.