How to Write 捍 (hàn) — Meaning “to defend”

Picture a hand (扌) holding a shield under the scorching sun of a drought (旱) to defend against heat. The visual of protecting yourself from harsh conditions helps you remember that 捍 means 'to defend'.

The left radical 扌 should be narrow, and the right part 旱 must be balanced—the top 日 is slightly smaller than the bottom 干. A common mistake is making the horizontal stroke of 干 too long, which can make the character look lopsided.

㧜 (luò) is very rare and means 'to sweep or clear away', while 抨 (pēng) means 'to attack or impeach with words'. 捍 focuses on physically defending or protecting, whereas 抨 is about verbal criticism. Also, 㧜 is almost never used in modern Chinese.

You see 捍 in formal or written contexts like '捍卫权利' (defend rights) or '捍卫荣誉' (defend honor). It carries a strong, positive sense of protecting something valuable, such as justice or national sovereignty, and is often used in speeches or news reports.

Common words containing 捍 include: 捍卫 (hàn wèi) — to defend or uphold; 捍卫权利 (hàn wèi quán lì) — to defend rights; 捍卫荣誉 (hàn wèi róng yù) — to defend honor.