How to Write 闩 (shuān) — Meaning “To bolt / A latch”

Imagine the radical 门 as a door frame, and the vertical line inside as a wooden bar sliding into place to lock it. The shape looks like a simple door with a single bar, which matches the meaning of a latch.

闩 has 4 strokes: first write the left vertical stroke of 门, then the hook, then the inner vertical stroke, and finally the short horizontal stroke at the top-right. A common mistake is making the inner vertical too thin or disconnected from the top; it should touch the inside top of the door frame.

门 (door) is just the radical without the inner bar, so it means 'door' generally. 闪 (flash/ dodge) has a person radical inside the door, giving a different meaning. 闩 specifically has the vertical bar, signaling a latch or the action of bolting.

闩 is used in words like 门闩 (door bolt) and 闩门 (to bolt the door). It is a practical term for traditional wooden doors that use a sliding bar, and you might see it in instructions for securing gates or in descriptions of old architecture.

Common words containing 闩 include: 门闩 (mén shuān) — Door bolt / latch; 闩门 (shuān mén) — To bolt the door; 插闩 (chā shuān) — To bolt a door.