How to Write 湾 (wān) — Meaning “Bay; gulf; bend in a river.”

Imagine a river (氵) that curves like a bent bow (弯). The right side 弯 looks like a bow being drawn — the top is the bowstring and the bottom is the curve. This helps recall that 湾 means a curved water area like a bay.

The left radical 氵 must be written with three dots — small, slanted, and close together — not as separate strokes. The right side 弯 has eight strokes: start with the top dot and horizontal, then the left and right parts of the bow, and finish with the curved bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep it balanced within the square space.

湾 has the phonetic component 弯 and means 'bay' or 'bend'. 流 (liú) also has 氵 but uses 㐬 as its phonetic, meaning 'to flow'. 浙 (zhè) is the name of a river (Zhejiang) and uses 折 as its phonetic. Visually, the right parts are distinct: 弯 (curved), 㐬 (flowing hair-like shape), and 折 (broken line).

湾 is most commonly used in the name 台湾 (Táiwān, Taiwan). It also appears in words like 海湾 (hǎiwān, bay/gulf) and 港湾 (gǎngwān, harbor). Culturally, 台湾 is a significant place name in Chinese geography and politics, so you will often see this character in news and travel contexts.

Common words containing 湾 include: 台湾 (tái wān) — Taiwan; 海湾 (hǎi wān) — Bay / Gulf; 港湾 (gǎng wān) — Harbor or bay.