How to Write 翰 (hàn) — Meaning “writing brush; pen; writing”

Imagine an early morning (the right part 倝 looks like sunrise) when a scholar uses a feather (羽) pen to write beautiful calligraphy. The feather represents the brush, and the sunrise suggests the daily practice of a Hanlin scholar. This links the components to the character's meaning of writing and scholarship.

Write the left radical 羽 first (横折钩, 点, 提, 横折钩, 点, 提) with the two '习' parts slightly narrow. Then write the right component 倝 starting with the top '十' then the lower '日' and finally '十' – the overall character is balanced with the left side slightly taller. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep both sides compact.

翰 (hàn) means writing brush or pen, while 翟 (dí/zhái) is a long-tailed pheasant or a surname, and 翠 (cuì) means emerald green or kingfisher. Visually, 翰 has the right component 倝, 翟 has 隹 (bird) under 羽, and 翠 has 卒 (soldier) under 羽 – they all share the 羽 radical but differ in the other parts and meanings.

翰 is most common in the name 约翰 (Yuēhàn, John) and the term 翰林 (hànlín, Hanlin Academy), which was a prestigious imperial scholarly institution. It also appears in literary contexts like 墨翰 (mòhàn, calligraphy). Although not a daily-use character, it carries a classical, educated feel and often appears in formal or historical writing.

Common words containing 翰 include: 约翰 (yuē hàn) — John; 翰林 (hàn lín) — Hanlin Academy (imperial scholar); 墨翰 (mò hàn) — calligraphy.