How to Write 涅 (niè) — Meaning “black dye; to dye black”

Imagine water (氵) mixing with sun (日) and earth (土) to create a black dye. The right side 圼 looks like the sun over the soil, which when combined with water produces a dark liquid. This picture helps connect the components to the meaning of black dye.

Write the water radical on the left first, then the top part 日, followed by the bottom part 土. Make sure the 日 is not too wide and the 土 is centered under it, as beginners often make the right side look like 皇 or 呈. Keep the overall width balanced with the water radical taking about one third of the space.

涅 has the right side 圼 (日 above 土), while 沫 has 末 (a horizontal line through a tree) and 沭 has 术 (a tree with a dot). Their meanings are also different: 涅 means black dye, 沫 means foam, and 沭 is a river name. In writing, look for the distinct top part — 涅 has a sun shape 日, not a horizontal line or a dot.

The most common use of 涅 is in the Buddhist term 涅槃 (niè pán), meaning Nirvana — a state of perfect peace and enlightenment. It also appears in historical contexts, like 涅面 (niè miàn), an ancient punishment of tattooing the face black. Modern daily use is very rare, so you will mostly see it in religious or literary texts.

Common words containing 涅 include: 涅槃 (niè pán) — Nirvana; 涅 (niè) — black dye; to dye black; 涅面 (niè miàn) — to tattoo the face (ancient punishment).