How to Write 藤 (téng) — Meaning “vine; rattan; cane”

Imagine a grapevine (葡藤) growing up a trellis: the top 艹 is like leaves, and the bottom 滕 looks like a twisting stem. You can also think of the sound "teng" as "tendrils" reaching upward. Picture a wicker chair (藤椅) made from this strong vine to solidify the image.

Be careful with the bottom part 滕 — it has many strokes and a complex left-right structure. The left side 月 (meat) must be narrow, and the right side has a 丷 (two dots) over 水 (water), but written as 氺. A common mistake is making the grass radical too large; it should be small and centered above the rest.

藤 has the component 滕 (téng) inside, while 䕭 (qián) has 炎 (yán) and means a type of wild plant, and 蕑 (jiān) has 閒 (xián) and refers to a fragrant herb. Visually, 藤 is the only one with the 月 (moon/meat) and 氺 pattern in its bottom part. Their pronunciations and uses are completely different.

藤 appears in common words like 藤椅 (rattan chair), 葡萄藤 (grapevine), and 紫藤 (wisteria). Wisteria is especially loved in Chinese gardens for its hanging purple flowers, often seen in classical poetry. Rattan furniture is also a traditional craft, making 藤 a practical character for everyday items.

Common words containing 藤 include: 藤椅 (téng yǐ) — rattan chair; wicker chair; 葡萄藤 (pú táo téng) — grapevine; 紫藤 (zǐ téng) — wisteria.