How to Write 泱 (yāng) — Meaning “vast; expansive”

Imagine a big ocean (氵) with the sun (日) rising in the middle (央), spreading light over a vast area. The character 央 looks like a person standing under the sun, emphasizing the wide horizon. This visual helps you recall 泱 as meaning "vast and expansive."

Pay attention to the proportion: the water radical 氵 should be narrow and tall, while the right part 央 is wider. The 央 part has a vertical stroke that goes straight down through the center, and the final stroke (捺) should extend slightly rightward. A common mistake is making the 氵 too wide or misaligning the center vertical of 央.

泱 (yāng) means vast or grand, and contains 氵 + 央. 㳄 (xián) is an ancient character meaning saliva, with 氵 + 欠 (to owe), and is very rare today. 汊 (chà) means a branch of a river, with 氵 + 叉 (fork). Unlike 泱, 汊 is used for water dividing into smaller streams, not for describing vastness.

泱 is most often seen in the reduplicated form 泱泱 (yāng yāng), meaning "vast and magnificent," used to describe a large country or a grand scene. For example, 泱泱大国 means "a vast and great nation." It carries a positive, poetic tone and is less common in everyday speech, appearing more in literature or formal descriptions.

Common words containing 泱 include: 泱泱 (yāng yāng) — vast and magnificent; grand; 泱 (yāng) — vast; expansive.