How to Write 浪 (làng) — Meaning “wave / billow”

Imagine a wave (氵) that is so great and 'good' (良 sounds like 'good' in English) that it creates a romantic scene. The sound of 良 can help you connect to the word '浪漫' (làng màn), meaning 'romantic', which often involves gentle waves at the beach.

Write the water radical 氵 first with three dots, then the right part 良. Pay attention to the stroke order of 良: start with the top dot, then the horizontal line, then the left vertical stroke, and finish with the two horizontal strokes and the bottom vertical stroke. A common mistake is writing the right side too wide or confusing the lower part of 良 with the character 艮.

浪 (làng) has the phonetic component 良 and means 'wave', while 沫 (mò) has 末 (mò) and means 'foam' or 'froth'. 沭 (shù) has 术 (shù) and is a place name or river name. Visually, the right parts differ: 浪 uses 良, 沫 uses 末, and 沭 uses 术. Their meanings also relate to different water-related concepts.

浪 commonly appears in words like 浪漫 (romantic), which describes a dreamy or sentimental atmosphere, often associated with love or art. 浪费 (to waste) is a frequent everyday term, and 海浪 (sea waves) describes ocean waves. In Chinese culture, 浪 can also suggest a free-spirited or unrestrained lifestyle, as in the phrase '浪子' (wanderer).

Common words containing 浪 include: 浪漫 (làng màn) — romantic; 浪费 (làng fèi) — to waste; 海浪 (hǎi làng) — Sea waves.