How to Write 印 (yìn) — Meaning “to print; seal; stamp; mark”

Imagine your left hand (the left side of the character) pressing down on a rubber stamp that sits on a desk (the right side 卩 looks like a stamp pad). This visual of a hand stamping an impression helps link the shape to the meaning 'to print' or 'seal'.

The left part has two horizontal strokes stacked under a short left-falling stroke, so do not add a third horizontal line or make them too long. The right part 卩 starts with a horizontal stroke that turns down (横折), then a vertical stroke, so be careful not to write it as a single straight line.

印 has a left side that looks like a hand (撇横横), while 卫 has a left side with three strokes (彳) meaning 'to guard', and its right side is a simple horizontal line. 卬 looks similar but lacks the hand part – it has a different top stroke (撇横折) and means 'to lift the head'.

In modern Chinese, 印 appears in common words like 打印 (to print documents), 复印 (to photocopy), and 印象 (impression, as in first impressions). Culturally, personal name seals (印章) are still used for official signatures in China, especially on artwork or contracts.

Common words containing 印 include: 打印 (dǎ yìn) — to print; 印象 (yìn xiàng) — impression; 复印 (fù yìn) — to photocopy / to copy.