How to Write 吟 (yín) — Meaning “to chant / to recite”

Imagine a poet using his mouth (口) to recite a poem that starts with the word "jin" (今) — like a chant that sounds like "yin". Picture the mouth shape forming the sound "yín" as it chants the character 今. This links the visual parts to the meaning of reciting poetry.

Write the stroke order left to right: first the 口 radical (3 strokes), then the 今 component (4 strokes). Be careful with 今 — the top is a downward stroke that turns right, not a dot, and the bottom is a horizontal line with a hook, not a vertical line. A common mistake is confusing 今 with 令, so make sure the bottom stroke goes left-to-right without extending below.

吟 means to chant or recite, 卟 (bǔ) is a rare character used in onomatopoeia or chemical terms (like in 卟啉), and 古 (gǔ) means ancient or old. Visually, 吟 has the mouth radical on the left with 今 on the right, while 卟 has mouth with 卜 (divination) and 古 has mouth above a 十. Their pronunciations and meanings are completely different.

吟 appears in formal or literary contexts like 吟诵 (to recite poetry aloud) and 吟唱 (to chant or sing, often in a traditional style). It is also used in the common word 呻吟 (to groan or moan, as from pain). Culturally, 吟 evokes the classical art of reciting Tang and Song poetry in a melodic, expressive tone — a practice still valued in Chinese literature education.

Common words containing 吟 include: 吟诵 (yín sòng) — to recite / to chant (poetry); 吟唱 (yín chàng) — to chant / to sing; 呻吟 (shēn yín) — to groan / to moan.