How to Write 灌 (guàn) — Meaning “to irrigate; to pour; to fill”

Imagine a crane (雚 looks like a bird with a crest) standing by water (氵) and pouring water onto a bush (灌木). The bird’s long beak acts like a spout, helping you link pouring water to the character. This visual combines the radical and common word 灌木.

灌 has 20 strokes, so focus on the right side 雚: start with the grass radical 艹 (two horizontal lines), then the square 口, and finally the bird 隹 with its long vertical stroke. A common mistake is making the 隹 too wide or forgetting the 艹, which changes the character completely.

灌 means “to pour or irrigate” with a sense of actively moving water, while 瀑 (pù) means “waterfall”—a natural rapid flow. 瀚 (hàn) describes “vast or extensive water” like an ocean. Visually, 灌 has a compact right side with 隹, whereas 瀑 contains 暴 (explode) and 瀚 contains 翰 (writing brush).

灌 appears in words like 灌溉 (irrigation) for farming and 灌木 (shrub) for low woody plants. In internet slang, 灌水 means “to post nonsense online”—a playful extension of “pouring water.” Its agricultural roots reflect China’s long history of irrigation systems.

Common words containing 灌 include: 灌溉 (guàn gài) — to irrigate; 灌木 (guàn mù) — shrub; bush; 灌水 (guàn shuǐ) — to pour water; to post nonsense online.