How to Write 萠 (pān) — Meaning “sprout (variant of 萌)”

Imagine a little seed (艹) with two friendly moon-shaped leaves (朋) pushing out of the soil. The two 月 parts look like a pair of friends helping the sprout grow. This visual helps you connect the character to the idea of a sprout emerging.

Start with the grass radical 艹 (horizontal line then two vertical strokes). Then write the left 月 (four strokes) and the right 月 (four strokes), keeping them the same size and centered. A common mistake is making the two 月 parts uneven or too wide, which ruins the balance.

萠 has 朋 (two moons) below the grass radical, while 荷 has 何 (a person and 可) below, meaning "lotus." 荸 has 孛 below, meaning "water chestnut." All three share the grass radical, but their lower parts are very different in shape and meaning.

萠 is a rare variant of 萌, so in modern Chinese people almost always use 萌 to mean "sprout" or "cute." You might encounter 萠 in old texts, classical poetry, or calligraphy as a stylistic choice. Learning it helps you recognize historical or artistic Chinese writing.

Common words containing 萠 include: 萠芽 (pān yá) — sprout; bud; germ; 萠发 (pān fā) — germinate; sprout; 萠生 (pān shēng) — to sprout; to emerge.