How to Write 酣 (hān) — Meaning “to drink to one's heart's content / soundly (sleep)”

Imagine a wine jar (酉) filled with sweet (甘) wine — you drink until you are completely satisfied. This image of "sweet wine in a jar" helps you remember that 酣 means to drink heartily or to sleep soundly.

Write the left side 酉 first: horizontal, then vertical, then the inner strokes (横竖折撇竖折横). The right side 甘 is 5 strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, vertical. A common mistake is making the 甘 too wide — keep it narrower than the 酉 side to balance the character.

酌 (zhuó) means "to pour wine" or "to consider" — it focuses on the action of drinking, not the feeling. 配 (pèi) means "to match" or "to pair" (e.g., with wine). 酣 specifically describes the state of being deeply satisfied after drinking, or a deep, sound sleep.

You most often see 酣 in phrases like 酣睡 (sound sleep) and 酣畅 (free and easy, to one's heart's content). It appears in literary or descriptive writing, not casual conversation. Culturally, it evokes the ancient ideal of drinking freely and sleeping deeply without worries.

Common words containing 酣 include: 酣睡 (hān shuì) — to sleep soundly; 酣畅 (hān chàng) — free and easy / to one's heart's content; 酒酣 (jiǔ hān) — tipsy / merry with wine.