How to Write 绀 (gàn) — Meaning “dark purple, violet-blue”

Imagine a 'sweet' (甘) shade of purple silk (纟) that is so dark it looks like a night sky. Think of the phrase "sweet purple silk" to link the components and the meaning of dark purple or violet-blue.

Write the left radical 纟 first with three strokes: 撇折、撇折、提, then add 甘 on the right. A common mistake is making 甘 too wide—keep it narrow and balanced next to the slim silk radical. The bottom horizontal stroke of 甘 should be slightly longer than the top one.

绀 (gàn) means dark purple or violet-blue, while 纡 (yū) means bent or circuitous and is rare. 红 (hóng) means red or popular. Visually, 绀 has 甘 on the right, 纡 has 于 (yú), and 红 has 工 (gōng), so focus on the right-side component to distinguish them.

绀 is uncommon in daily speech but appears in literary or formal descriptions of deep blue or purple shades, like 绀青 (navy blue) or 绀色 (dark purple). It is also used in anime and manga to describe characters with dark purple hair (绀发), giving a poetic or elegant feel.

Common words containing 绀 include: 绀青 (gàn qīng) — dark blue, navy blue; 绀色 (gàn sè) — dark purple color; 绀发 (gàn fā) — dark purple hair.