How to Write 阱 (jǐng) — Meaning “Pitfall or trap.”

Imagine a well (井) that has a hidden hole (阝) next to it — when you walk near, you fall into the trap! The left side looks like a cliff (阝) and the right side is a well, so think "cliff + well = a dangerous pit."

Write the left radical 阝 first with two strokes: a flared hook and a vertical line. Then write 井 on the right with four strokes: horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, vertical. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or forgetting that the right component 井 has two horizontal strokes, not three.

Although 邓 (Dèng, a surname) and 邗 (Hán, a river name) share the same left radical 阝, they have different right components: 又 (hand) and 干 (shield) respectively. Only 阱 has 井 on the right and means 'trap.' Visually, 阱's right side is a clear 'well' shape, while 邓 and 邗 have distinct strokes.

阱 is most common in the word 陷阱 (xiàn jǐng), meaning 'trap or pitfall' — used both literally (a hidden hole to catch animals) and figuratively (a dangerous situation or deception). It is not in the HSK vocabulary, so you will mainly encounter it in literary, historical, or cautionary contexts (e.g., 'set a trap').

Common words containing 阱 include: 陷阱 (xiàn jǐng) — trap or pitfall; 阱 (jǐng) — Pitfall or trap..