How to Write 陨 (yǔn) — Meaning “To fall from the sky; to perish.”

Imagine a "member" (员) standing on top of a hill (阝) and then falling off — this visual of falling helps you recall 陨 means 'to fall from the sky.' You can also think of a meteorite (陨石) as a stone member falling from the sky.

Write the left radical 阝 first (2 strokes: curved horizontal then vertical), then the right part 员 (top 口 in 3 strokes, then bottom 贝 in 4 strokes). A common mistake is making the left radical too wide — keep it narrow, and ensure the bottom of 贝 has two small legs instead of one continuous stroke.

The main difference is the right side: 陨 has 员 (yuán), 邮 has 由 (yóu), and 邯 has 甘 (gān). Visually, 员 is wider with an opening at the bottom, while 由 is a straight box with a vertical line, and 甘 has a horizontal line through the middle. Meaning-wise, 陨 is about falling or perishing, 邮 is about postal services, and 邯 is used only in the city name Handan.

陨 appears in formal or scientific contexts, such as 陨石 (meteorite) and 陨落 (to fall from the sky, or to pass away, especially for a great person). Culturally, ancient Chinese often interpreted meteorites (陨石) as celestial omens, and the word 陨落 is used poetically to describe the death of a hero or star.

Common words containing 陨 include: 陨石 (yǔn shí) — meteorite; 陨落 (yǔn luò) — to fall from the sky or pass away (of a great person); 陨灭 (yǔn miè) — to perish or be destroyed.