How to Write 堙 (yīn) — Meaning “to block; to bury; to mound”

Picture a mound of earth (土) piling up until it completely buries a western-style building (西) — that blockage is 堙. You can also remember the pinyin "yīn" by thinking of a "yin" force that covers up or hides things, like earth smothering a fire.

The stroke order is: write the left radical 土 (3 strokes), then the right part 垔: start with 西 (6 strokes) and finish with the bottom 土 (3 strokes). A common mistake is confusing the top of 西 with 酉 — 西 has a flat horizontal top stroke, not a lid. Also keep the two 土 parts balanced, with the right side slightly taller.

The key difference is the right side: 堙 has 垔 (a 西 on top of 土), 垸 has 元 (a two-stroke component meaning "origin"), and 埂 has 更 (meaning "more" or "change"). For meaning, 堙 is about blocking or burying, 垸 is a rare character for smearing mud, and 埂 means a ridge or boundary in fields. Visually, 堙 looks like a double layer of earth, while 埂 has a distinct 更 shape.

堙 is a literary character, not used in daily conversation. It appears in formal or historical texts, particularly in words like 堙没 (to be buried and forgotten) and 堙塞 (to block a river or passage). You might encounter it in ancient poetry or descriptions of flooding, where earth was used to dam water.

Common words containing 堙 include: 堙没 (yīn mò) — to be buried; to fall into oblivion; 堙塞 (yīn sāi) — to block up; to clog; 堙灭 (yīn miè) — to be annihilated; to perish.