How to Write 琏 (liǎn) — Meaning “Sacrificial vessel”

Picture a jade ritual vessel (王) that is 'connected' (连) to an ancient ceremony. Imagine the vessel being passed from hand to hand in a line during a sacrifice. This visual of a jade object in a linked chain helps link 琏's meaning and pronunciation.

Write the left radical 王 with three horizontal strokes and one vertical, keeping it narrow. Then the right side 连: start with 车 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical) and finish with 辶 (dot, horizontal bend, vertical). A common mistake is making the 王 radical too wide or forgetting the dot on top of 辶. Ensure the whole character balances left and right.

玲 (líng) has 王 plus 令 and means the tinkling sound of jade, often used in names like 玲珑 (exquisite). 玳 (dài) has 王 plus 代 and refers to the hawksbill turtle shell used in ornament. In contrast, 琏 specifically denotes a sacrificial vessel and appears in classical literature, not in common modern vocabulary.

Today 琏 is extremely rare, mostly appearing in the classic novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber' as the name 贾琏. The word 瑚琏 (hú liǎn) refers to an ancient ritual grain vessel and is metaphorically used to describe a person of great talent, akin to saying 'a vessel of high value' in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 琏 include: 贾琏 (jiǎ liǎn) — Jia Lian (character in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'); 瑚琏 (hú liǎn) — Hulian (sacrificial vessel; a person of great talent).; 琏器 (liǎn qì) — Sacrificial vessel.