How to Write 檀 (tán) — Meaning “sandalwood; hardwood”

Imagine a tree (木) that smells so good it makes everyone feel sincere (亶). The two parts together remind you that sandalwood is a tree used for its sincere, pure fragrance. This visual of a sincere-smelling tree can help link the components to sandalwood.

檀 has 17 strokes. Start with the wood radical 木 (horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling), then write the right part 亶: dot on top, then 回 (a square-like shape) with a horizontal line across the bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the top dot – keep the whole character balanced and compact.

All three have the wood radical 木 and refer to types of trees, but their right parts differ. 檀 has 亶 (dǎn), while 槭 has 戚 (qī, meaning 'relative') and 槲 has 斛 (hú, a unit of measure). Remember 檀 for sandalwood, 槭 for maple tree, and 槲 for oak tree.

檀 often appears in 檀香 (tán xiāng, sandalwood incense), widely used in Buddhist temples and meditation for its calming scent. 紫檀 (zǐ tán) refers to red sandalwood, a precious wood for fine furniture and carvings. Sandalwood is highly valued in Chinese culture for its fragrance and durability, symbolizing purity and elegance.

Common words containing 檀 include: 檀香 (tán xiāng) — sandalwood (incense); 紫檀 (zǐ tán) — red sandalwood; 檀木 (tán mù) — sandalwood.