How to Write 坛 (tán) — Meaning “altar / jar / forum”

Imagine a cloud (云) made of dirt (土) slowly forming into an altar or a jar. Another trick: think of a "talking forum" where people gather like clouds above an earthen platform.

Write the left radical 土 first, keeping it narrow and balanced, then add 云 on the right with the top stroke slightly above the left side. A common mistake is making 云 too wide, so keep both parts proportional — the right side should be about two-thirds the width of the whole character.

坛 has 土 on the left and 云 on the right, while 圣 (shèng) has 又 on top of 土 and means "holy" or "sage." 圤 (pǔ or pò) uses 卜 on the right and refers to a mound or uneven ground — note the different right-side components for each.

坛 is used for physical structures like 花坛 (flower bed) and 酒坛 (wine jar), and metaphorically for 论坛 (forum) in online or discussion contexts. In Chinese culture, an altar (坛) was historically a sacred earthen platform for ceremonies, so the word carries a sense of gathering or dedicated space.

Common words containing 坛 include: 花坛 (huā tán) — Flower bed; 论坛 (lùn tán) — Forum; 酒坛 (jiǔ tán) — Wine jar.