How to Write 悛 (quān) — Meaning “repent”

Imagine a heart (忄) making a U-turn — the right side 夋 looks like a person turning away. The sound "quān" reminds you of "quit" or "turn," helping you recall that 悛 means to repent and change your ways.

Write the left radical first: dot, dot, vertical. Then the right side: start with 允 (撇, 竖提, 撇, 竖弯钩) then 夂 (撇, 横撇, 捺). A common mistake is making the right part too wide; keep it balanced within the character's square shape.

悛 (repent) has the right component 夋 (change), while 怊 (sorrow) has 召 (call) and 怍 (shame) has 乍 (sudden). All share the heart radical, but only 悛 focuses on changing one's heart. Visually, look for the 夋 with 允 and 夂 to identify 悛.

悛 is rarely used alone; it appears in formal idioms like 悛改 (to repent and reform) and 长恶不悛 (to persist in evil without repentance). It has a classical, literary tone and is often found in moral teachings, reflecting the Confucian value of repentance and self-improvement.

Common words containing 悛 include: 悛改 (quān gǎi) — repent and change; 长恶不悛 (cháng è bù quān) — to persist in evil without repentance; 悛心 (quān xīn) — heart of repentance.