How to Write 陷 (xiàn) — Meaning “to sink, fall, or trap”

Imagine a person (阝 as a hill shape) standing next to a pit (臽 looks like a person falling into a hole). The left side is like a cliff or edge, and the right side shows someone stepping into a trap and sinking down. Visualize this to remember that 陷 means to sink or fall into a trap.

The left radical 阝 has two strokes: a horizontal curve that descends then a vertical hook, and then a vertical stroke. The right side 臽 starts with a horizontal slash and a container-like shape — be careful to write the top 刀 (knife) radical with a short horizontal and a hook, not as a full 刀. Common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep the whole character balanced and compact.

陷 (xiàn) means to sink or trap, while 邾 (zhū) is an ancient state name and rarely used in modern Chinese. 郁 (yù) means lush, melancholy, or a surname, and has the radical 阝 on the right instead of the left. Visually, 陷 has 臽 on the right, whereas 邾 has 朱 (red) and 郁 has 有 (have) — they share the same radical but have completely different meanings and pronunciations.

陷 appears in common words like 陷阱 (trap) and 陷入 (to fall into a situation), often used metaphorically for getting into trouble or difficulty. For example, 陷入困境 means to be bogged down in a predicament. Culturally, it appears in idioms like 陷落 (to fall or be captured) and is common in news and literature to describe economic or emotional states.

Common words containing 陷 include: 陷阱 (xiàn jǐng) — trap or pitfall; 陷入 (xiàn rù) — to fall into or get bogged down in; 缺陷 (quē xiàn) — defect / flaw.