How to Write 完 (wán) — Meaning “Finish / Complete”

Imagine that under a roof (宀) you have your original (元) belongings, so everything is finished and complete. Or think of the roof as a safe place where your work is done, giving you a sense of completion.

Start by writing the roof radical 宀 with a dot, a dot, then a horizontal hook. Then for 元 below, write two horizontal lines from left to right, then a left-falling stroke from the second horizontal, and finish with a vertical hook that bends to the right. Be careful not to make the bottom part too wide or narrow, and keep the roof covering the whole character.

完 has 元 under the roof, which has two horizontal lines and a curved hook. 宁 has 丁 (a hook under a horizontal line) and means 'peaceful' or 'rather'. 它 has 匕 (a small slanted shape) under the roof and means 'it'. Remember: 完 is about finishing, 宁 is about quiet, and 它 is a pronoun.

完 is very common as a verb complement to show an action is finished, like 吃完 (to finish eating) or 做完 (to finish doing). It also appears in words like 完美 (perfect) and 完成 (to complete). Culturally, 完 is often used in daily conversation and writing, especially when talking about completing tasks or achieving a perfect state.

Common words containing 完 include: 完成 (wán chéng) — To complete / Finish; 吃完 (chī wán) — to finish eating; 完美 (wán měi) — Perfect.