How to Write 珐 (fà) — Meaning “Enamel (used in 'enamel')”

Imagine a king (王) using a special method (法) to create a beautiful, shiny enamel bowl. The "king" reminds you of the jade radical representing something precious, and "method" matches the right side. This mental picture helps you connect the components to the meaning "enamel."

Write the left part 王 first (three horizontal strokes and one vertical), then the right part 法. In 法, start with three dots for 氵, then write 去 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal, then the lower part). Keep the right side slightly narrower so the whole character looks balanced. A common mistake is misplacing the dots of 氵 or making the right side too wide.

珐 (fà) means "enamel" and has the right side 法 (fǎ). 玓 (dì) means "pearl" and has the right side 勺 (shao, a spoon). 玖 (jiǔ) means "black jade" and is also the formal numeral for nine, with the right side 久 (jiǔ, long time). The visual difference is the right component: 法 vs. 勺 vs. 久. Only 珐 is used for enamel-related words like 珐琅.

珐 appears almost exclusively in the word 珐琅 (fà láng, enamel) and its compounds like 珐琅彩 (enamel paint or ware) and 珐琅杯 (enamel cup). It is not a common standalone character. Culturally, 珐琅彩 refers to a prized style of Chinese porcelain decoration using colored enamel, especially from the Qing dynasty, making the character important in art and antique contexts.

Common words containing 珐 include: 珐琅 (fà láng) — Enamel; 珐琅彩 (fà láng cǎi) — Enamel paint; enamelware; 珐琅杯 (fà láng bēi) — Enamel cup.