How to Write 鄄 (juàn) — Meaning “Juan (used in place names)”

Imagine the left part 阝 as a hill, and the right part 耎 looks like a person sitting on a stool with two small dots as cushions. This helps you recall that 鄄 is a place name (hill + soft seat) for Juancheng. You can also think 'Juan' (a name) plus 'city' radical.

Pay attention to the right side 耎: it starts with the 而 shape, then has a horizontal hook (乛) and ends with two dots side by side, not four dots like fire (火). A common mistake is to add extra strokes or confuse the bottom with 灬 (fire radical). Keep the two dots small and separate.

鄄 (juàn) is a place name, while 郗 (xī) is a surname and 郛 (fú) means 'outer city wall' or is also a place name. Visually, 鄄's right side is 耎 (with two dots), 郗's right side is 希 (with a 巾-like bottom), and 郛's right side is 孚 (with a 子 and claw). The differences in the right component change both pronunciation and meaning.

鄄 is almost exclusively used in the place name 鄄城 (Juànchéng), a county in Shandong Province, and its historical form 鄄邑 (Juànyì). You won't find it in everyday vocabulary or HSK lists. It appears in geographical and historical contexts, such as when discussing ancient states or reading maps of China.

Common words containing 鄄 include: 鄄城 (juàn chéng) — Juancheng (a place name); 鄄城县 (juàn chéng xiàn) — Juancheng County; 鄄邑 (juàn yì) — Juanyi (an ancient place name).