How to Write 罙 (shēn) — Meaning “Deep (archaic)”

Imagine a net (罒) cast into a deep well, with the bottom part representing the water far below. Picture the net sinking deeper and deeper until it disappears into the darkness, so the whole shape reminds you of 'deep'.

The top radical 罒 must be written with four strokes: a short vertical, then a horizontal, two short verticals, and a bottom horizontal – do not mistake it for the radical for 'eye' (目). The bottom part ends with a sweeping stroke that should extend slightly to the right, balancing the character's width.

罙 means 'deep' (archaic), while 罔 means 'net' or 'to deceive' and has a different lower part (亡). 罕 means 'rare' and has a bottom component resembling 'dry' (干). Visually, 罙 has a net on top and a deeper-looking base, whereas 罔 and 罕 have distinct lower shapes.

罙 is an archaic character, rarely used alone in modern Chinese. It appears mainly in classical texts or fixed literary phrases like 罙入 (to go deep into) or 罙奥 (profound), often to evoke an ancient or poetic feeling.

Common words containing 罙 include: 罙入 (shēn rù) — To go deep into; 罙奥 (shēn ào) — Profound; 罙远 (shēn yuǎn) — Far-reaching.