How to Write 坍 (tān) — Meaning “To collapse / To cave in”

Imagine a pile of earth (土) that suddenly caves in, leaving a hole like a missing chunk — the right side 丹 looks like a collapsed structure. Picture the earth crumbling to form that shape.

Write the left radical 土 (earth) first as three strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Then write the right side 丹: a left-falling stroke, a horizontal hook, and a dot inside. A common mistake is making the right side too wide — keep it narrow and balanced with the left.

圣 (shèng) means 'holy' and has a different right component (又), while 坍 uses 丹. 圤 (pǔ or pò) is an archaic variant of 朴 meaning 'unworked wood' and is extremely rare. In contrast, 坍 specifically means collapse and is used in modern words like 坍塌.

坍 appears in formal or news contexts describing structural failures, such as building collapses (坍塌). It is also used figuratively in 坍台 to mean losing face or experiencing a breakdown. This character is not common in daily conversation but is essential for reading about disasters or social embarrassment.

Common words containing 坍 include: 坍塌 (tān tā) — To collapse; to cave in.; 坍陷 (tān xiàn) — To subside; to cave in.; 坍台 (tān tái) — To lose face; to break down..