How to Write 郯 (tán) — Meaning “Tan (an ancient place name or surname)”

Imagine a city (阝) that is so hot it is on fire (炎) — that blazing city is the ancient State of Tan (郯). The double fire symbol 炎 helps you recall that 郯 is pronounced 'tán', which sounds like 'tan' as in the color of fire.

The right side 炎 has two '火' stacked, so make sure the top 火 is a bit smaller and the bottom 火 is wider. The left radical 阝 must be written with its vertical stroke straight and the hook at the bottom sharp; do not let it lean into the 炎.

郯 uses 炎 on the right and refers to the Tan state, while 邾 uses 朱 on the right and refers to the Zhu state. 郁 has 有 or 鬯 on the right and means 'gloomy' or 'fragrant', not a place name. Visually, the right sides are distinct: 郯 has two fires, 邾 has a tree (木) with a dot, and 郁 has a different component.

郯 is mostly used in place names like 郯城 (Tancheng County in Shandong Province) and in historical references such as 郯子 (an ancient ruler) or 郯国 (the State of Tan). It is not a common character in daily conversation, but you may see it in geography or ancient history texts.

Common words containing 郯 include: 郯城 (tán chéng) — Tancheng (a place name); 郯子 (tán zi) — Tanzi (a historical figure); 郯国 (tán guó) — State of Tan (an ancient state).