How to Write 洹 (huán) — Meaning “Huan (river name)”

Picture a river (氵) that extends (亘) across the land. The right side 亘 looks like a sun above a line, so imagine the sun shining on a long, straight river. This helps link the shape to the meaning of a river name.

First write the three dots of 氵 (left, then upper dot, left dot, then lower right slant). Then write 亘: horizontal line, then vertical down through two horizontal bars, then bottom horizontal slightly longer than the top. A common mistake is adding an extra stroke inside 亘; remember it is just 日 above 一.

洹 has 亘 on the right and means the Huan River. 㳄 has 欠 on the right and means saliva. 汧 has 开 on the right and is a different river name (Qian River). Visually, the right parts are completely different: 亘, 欠, and 开.

洹 appears mainly in the proper name of the Huan River in Henan Province, China. It is used in words like 洹河 and 洹水, and appears in historical texts and place names. It is not a common character in daily conversation but is important for geography and history.

Common words containing 洹 include: 洹河 (huán hé) — Huan River; 洹水 (huán shuǐ) — Huan River; 洹桥 (huán qiáo) — Huan Bridge.