How to Write 涫 (guàn) — Meaning “Boiling / bubbling”

Imagine an official (官) sweating profusely because the water (氵) is boiling around him—he is in a hot, bubbling situation. The "official" part helps you recall the pronunciation guàn, while the water radical reminds you of the boiling liquid.

Write the three dots of 氵 first, angled slightly downward, then the right part 官. In 官, the top is 宀 (roof) with a dot inside, and below is a straight 丨 (vertical stroke) followed by two horizontal lines 口—make sure the vertical line goes through the middle. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep it balanced and compact so the character doesn't look stretched.

洁 (jié) means "clean" and has 氵 with 吉 (jí), while 洄 (huí) means "whirlpool" with 氵 and 回 (huí). 涫 (guàn) specifically means "boiling" or "bubbling," not washing or swirling. Visually, 涫 uses 官, not 吉 or 回, so the right side is distinct—look for the roof shape 宀 in 涫.

涫 is very rare in modern Chinese and mostly appears in classical or literary texts describing boiling liquids or gurgling sounds. You might see it in phrases like 涫沸 (guàn fèi, bubbling up) or 涫涫 (guàn guàn, gurgling). It is not used in everyday conversation, so you are unlikely to need it unless studying ancient literature.

Common words containing 涫 include: 涫沸 (guàn fèi) — Boiling / bubbling up; 涫涫 (guàn guàn) — Bubbling / gurgling; 涫汤 (guàn tāng) — Boiling soup.