How to Write 窨 (xūn) — Meaning “cellar / to scent (tea)”

Imagine walking into a dark cave (穴) and hearing a pleasant sound (音) — the sound of tea leaves gently being scented with flowers underground. This links the cave meaning to the special tea scenting process. You can also think of 'cave sound' as a mnemonic for 窨.

The radical 穴 is written first with five strokes: dot, dot, horizontal left-falling, right-falling, dot. Then the lower part 音 is written with nine strokes. A common mistake is making the 穴 too narrow or the 音 too large — keep the top slightly wider and the bottom balanced. Also, be careful not to confuse the stroke order of 音 (start with the left dot, then horizontal, then two dots on left, etc.).

Both 窨 and 窖 have the 穴 radical and mean 'cellar', but 窖 (jiào) is used for general storage like a wine cellar, while 窨 (xūn) specifically refers to scenting tea with flowers. 窗 (chuāng) means 'window' and has a different bottom part 囱. Visually, 窨 has 音 under the cave, 窖 has 告, and 窗 has 囱 — so checking the lower component helps tell them apart.

The most common modern word is 窨井 (xūn jǐng), meaning 'manhole', which refers to an underground access point. In tea culture, 窨制 (xūn zhì) is the traditional process of scenting tea leaves with flowers like jasmine, often done in a cellar. This character thus connects both practical infrastructure and a refined cultural practice in China.

Common words containing 窨 include: 窨井 (xūn jǐng) — manhole; 窨藏 (xūn cáng) — to store in a cellar; 窨制 (xūn zhì) — to scent (tea with flowers).