How to Write 剡 (shàn) — Meaning “to sharpen; to cut; Shan (place name)”

Imagine a blacksmith holding a knife (刂) over a fire (火) to sharpen it. This mental image of a fiery knife helps you remember both the shape and the meaning "to sharpen."

Write the fire component 火 first: dots or short strokes in the order left dot, upper right stroke, then the two side dots. Then add the knife radical 刂 below with a short horizontal and a vertical hook. Make sure the top part is wider so the character looks balanced.

剡 has fire above a knife (刂), while 刮 (guā) has the tongue radical 舌 on the left and means "to scrape". 到 (dào) has the arrive radical 至 on the left and means "to arrive". Visually, only 剡 has a fire component, making it unique.

剡 is rarely used today except as a place name, most notably in 剡溪 (Shàn Xī, Shan Stream) in Zhejiang. It also appears in historical terms like 剡纸 (Shan paper) and can be found in classical texts with the meaning "sharp" or "to sharpen."

Common words containing 剡 include: 剡溪 (shàn xī) — Shan Stream (a river in Zhejiang); 剡纸 (shàn zhǐ) — Shan paper (a traditional Chinese paper); 剡锋 (shàn fēng) — sharp point; sharp edge.