How to Write 滕 (téng) — Meaning “Teng (a surname or ancient state)”

Imagine a famous pavilion, 滕王阁, sitting by the water — the left side is the water radical 氵, and the right side 朕 looks like a king standing on a platform. This connects to the cultural landmark and makes the character easier to recall.

Pay attention to the right part 朕: it starts with a short horizontal stroke, then 月 (meat radical) and 关 (a horizontal line then two dots or strokes). The total 15 strokes require careful balance; a common mistake is mixing the right side with 腾 (which has a horse radical instead of water).

滕 has the right part 朕, while 溏 has 唐 (meaning pond) and 源 has 原 (meaning origin). Visually, 朕 contains 月 and a distinctive top, whereas 唐 has a horizontal line over 口, and 原 has a cliff radical. In meaning, 滕 is only a surname or place name, while 溏 and 源 are common words with water-related meanings.

滕 is primarily used as a surname and in the city name 滕州 in Shandong. It is also famous from 滕王阁, a historic pavilion celebrated in a classic poem by Wang Bo, making it a cultural symbol of Chinese literature and architecture.

Common words containing 滕 include: 滕州 (téng zhōu) — Tengzhou (a city in Shandong); 姓滕 (xìng téng) — Surname Teng; 滕王阁 (téng wáng gé) — Pavilion of Prince Teng.