How to Write 汾 (fén) — Meaning “Fen (name of a river or liquor)”

Think of 分 (fēn) meaning 'to divide' — imagine the Fen River dividing the land as it flows. The water radical (氵) reminds you it is a river, so 汾 is the river that separates the region.

Write the three dots of the water radical first (left to right), then the left side of 分 (a downward slash and a horizontal stroke), then the knife radical (刀) on the right. Keep the right part 分 slightly wider than the water radical, and avoid making the final hook too large.

汾 has a water radical with 分 on the right, meaning a river name or liquor. 㳄 (often confused) is not a standard character — its left side is a different form of water and right side is 欠, meaning 'spit' or 'saliva'. 氿 has a water radical with 九 (jiǔ) on the right and means 'spring water'. The key is the right-side component: 分 vs 欠 vs 九.

汾 appears in place names like 汾河 (Fén Hé, Fen River) and 汾酒 (Fén Jiǔ), a famous Chinese liquor from Shanxi province. 汾酒 is one of China's oldest spirits, traditionally used in ceremonies and banquets, so the character is often seen on bottles and in cultural references.

Common words containing 汾 include: 汾河 (fén hé) — Fen River; 汾酒 (fén jiǔ) — Fenjiu (a type of Chinese liquor); 汾水 (fén shuǐ) — Fen River.