How to Write 沾 (zhān) — Meaning “To touch; to be stained with; to moisten”

Imagine a drop of water (氵) landing on a piece of paper that has the word "占" written on it. The water touches the paper and leaves a wet stain, just like 沾 means "to touch" or "to be stained with." This visual of water staining a written character can help link the shape and meaning.

Start by writing the left radical 氵 as three dots, with the middle dot slightly lower. Then write the right part 占: first a vertical line, then the top horizontal and mouth shape 口. A common mistake is writing the right part too wide; keep 占 narrow so the whole character stays balanced. The water radical should be slightly taller than the right side.

汊 (chà) means a branch of a river, and its right side is 叉 (fork), while 沾 has 占 on the right. Visually, 汊 uses a ‘fork’ shape, whereas 沾 uses a ‘mouth’ shape. In meaning, 汊 is only used for water branching, while 沾 covers touching, staining, and benefiting from association.

沾 appears in common words like 沾水 (to touch water or get wet) and 沾光 (to benefit from someone else's success or fame). It can also be used metaphorically, as in 沾边, meaning to be related or to touch upon a topic. Culturally, 沾光 is a polite way to express gratitude for unearned benefits.

Common words containing 沾 include: 沾水 (zhān shuǐ) — To touch water; to get wet; 沾光 (zhān guāng) — To benefit from association with someone or something; 沾边 (zhān biān) — To be related to; to touch upon.