How to Write 赡 (shàn) — Meaning “To support / To provide for”

Imagine you give money (贝) to someone who talks a lot (詹, which contains 言 meaning speech) because you need to support them. This mental image links the left money radical to the right speech component and the idea of providing for someone.

Pay attention to the balance between the left 贝 and the right 詹. The right part has many strokes, so write 贝 narrow and compact, and make sure the upper part of 詹 (the 刀-ish top and the 厂 below) is not too tall. A common mistake is making 贝 too wide, which throws off the proportion.

赡 (shàn) means "to support" and has 詹 on the right, which looks like a person speaking. 赜 (zé) means "profound" and has 责 (responsibility) on the right. 赝 (yàn) means "fake" and has 雁 (wild goose) on the right. The right-side components are the key visual difference.

赡 is used mainly in formal or legal contexts, especially in the word 赡养 (shàn yǎng) meaning "to support one's parents." This reflects the traditional Chinese virtue of filial piety, where adult children are expected to provide for their elderly parents.

Common words containing 赡 include: 赡养 (shàn yǎng) — To support (one's parents); 赡养费 (shàn yǎng fèi) — Alimony / Support payments; 赡养人 (shàn yǎng rén) — Supporter / Provider.