How to Write 雈 (huán) — Meaning “water reed (ancient)”

Picture a bird (隹) peeking out from a clump of tall grass (艹) by a river — that's the reeds where it hides. This image links the parts to the meaning "water reed" and helps you recall the character.

Write the top grass radical (艹) with a horizontal stroke first, then two short verticals; keep it compact so it doesn't overpower the bird below. A common mistake is making the grass too wide — the bottom bird (隹) should be slightly wider and centered under the grass.

雈 has grass (艹) on top and means "reed," while 隺 has a covering (冖) on top and means "crane" or "to alight." 䧹 is a very rare character with uncertain meaning; visually, its top is different from both, so the key difference is the top component.

雈 is an ancient character not in common modern vocabulary or HSK. It appears in historical texts and place names like 雈水 (Huan River), and in the classical term 雈苻 (huán fú) meaning "reeds and rushes," often used as a metaphor for a hiding place for bandits.

Common words containing 雈 include: 雈苻 (huán fú) — reeds and rushes (often a hiding place); 雈苇 (huán wěi) — reeds; 雈水 (huán shuǐ) — Huan River (or reed water).