How to Write 甘 (gān) — Meaning “sweet; willing”

Imagine a smiling face with a piece of candy in its mouth: the outer square 口 is the mouth, and the horizontal line is the candy. This reminds you that 甘 means 'sweet' or 'willing' — someone who is sweetly content.

甘 has 5 strokes; write the outer box first (left vertical, top horizontal, right vertical), then the inner horizontal, and finally the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the inner horizontal too long or forgetting the bottom stroke, which should be slightly longer than the top one.

甘心 (gān xīn) means 'to be willing' or 'to be reconciled to,' often used when someone accepts a situation reluctantly. 甘甜 (gān tián) describes something sweet and luscious, like fruit or honey. 甘愿 (gān yuàn) means 'to be willing of one's own free will,' emphasizing voluntary choice.

甘 often appears in idioms like 甘拜下风 (gān bài xià fēng), meaning 'to willingly concede defeat.' Culturally, 甘 implies a positive, willing attitude, and is used in names or slogans to suggest sweetness or contentment, though it is not as common as basic color or number characters.

Common words containing 甘 include: 甘心 (gān xīn) — to be willing; to be reconciled to; 甘甜 (gān tián) — sweet; luscious; 甘愿 (gān yuàn) — to be willing; of one's own free will.