How to Write 盆 (pén) — Meaning “basin”

Imagine a basin (皿) that has a dividing line (分) in the middle, so you can use one side for washing your face and the other for washing your hands. Or think of the word "pen" — a basin is like a pen for water. The top part 分 can remind you of "split" or "divide," and the bottom 皿 is a container.

Start with the top part 分: write the left-falling stroke (撇), then the right-falling stroke (捺), then the horizontal hook (横折钩), and finally a left-falling stroke (撇). Then add the bottom 皿: vertical stroke, horizontal fold, vertical, vertical, and a long horizontal. A common mistake is making the top part too wide or misaligning it with the bottom; keep 分 centered above 皿 and let the bottom horizontal stretch evenly.

㿽 is a rare, archaic variant of 盆 with the same meaning, but it is almost never used in modern Chinese. 盂 (yú) also means a kind of basin or bowl, but it is used in more formal or classical contexts, like 痰盂 (spittoon) or 水盂 (water bowl for calligraphy). Visually, 盂 has 于 (yú) on top instead of 分, so you can tell them apart by the top component.

盆 is a common word for any basin-shaped container, such as 花盆 (flowerpot), 脸盆 (washbasin), and 饭盆 (food bowl for pets). In Chinese culture, a 盆 is also part of traditional items like 火盆 (fire brazier used for warmth) or 脚盆 (foot bath for relaxation). It is an everyday word at HSK Level 5, often used in home and gardening contexts.

Common words containing 盆 include: 花盆 (huā pén) — Flowerpot; 脸盆 (liǎn pén) — washbasin; 盆子 (pén zi) — basin.