How to Write 龛 (kān) — Meaning “Niche or shrine (for a statue or tablet)”

Imagine a dragon (龙) sitting inside a small box or niche that is closed shut (合). You can picture a tiny dragon statue placed in a shrine, with the top part 合 acting like a lid. This combines the two parts into a memorable image of a sacred space for a dragon.

Write the top part 合 first: stroke order is 撇,捺,横,竖,横折,横 — then bottom part 龙: 横,撇,竖弯钩,撇,竖弯钩,点. A common mistake is making the 合 too wide or the 龙 too narrow; keep them balanced vertically. Also, note that the last stroke of 龙 is a dot, not a horizontal line.

Both contain the radical 龙, but 龛 has 合 (combine) on top, while 龚 has 共 (together) on top. Visually, 龛's top is a 'A'-shaped structure with a closing line, whereas 龚's top is a horizontal '共' shape. Meaning-wise, 龛 refers to a niche or shrine, while 龚 is a surname or means 'to supply' — they are not interchangeable.

龛 is used to describe a small recess or shelf in a wall that holds a statue, especially in religious settings. Common words include 佛龛 (fó kān, Buddhist shrine) and 神龛 (shén kān, shrine for deities). It is not a common everyday character but appears in architecture, temples, and homes with altars, reflecting traditional Chinese reverence for ancestors and gods.

Common words containing 龛 include: 佛龛 (fó kān) — Buddhist shrine; 神龛 (shén kān) — Shrine; altar; 壁龛 (bì kān) — niche.