How to Write 詹 (zhān) — Meaning “a surname; talkative”

Imagine your friend Zhan talking non-stop under a roof — the top part looks like a roof and the bottom is 言 (speech). You can also link it to the famous name 詹姆斯 (James), which starts with this character, making it easier to recall.

The top part (厃) has 6 strokes: write the dot and left-falling stroke first, then the horizontal stroke. A common mistake is making the top part too wide or confusing it with 危, so keep the strokes compact. The bottom radical 言 (7 strokes) should be centered and slightly wider to support the top.

詹 (zhān) has a roof-like top (厃) over 言 and means a surname or talkative. 訾 (zǐ) has 此 (this) on top and 言 below, meaning "to criticize or slander". 詈 (lì) has a net-like top (罒) over 言, meaning "to scold". Visually, only 詹 has the slanting roof shape.

詹 is most commonly used as a surname (姓詹) for people named Zhan, or in the transliteration 詹姆斯 for the name James. You might also encounter it in historical terms like 詹事, an ancient official title, but it is not used in everyday HSK vocabulary.

Common words containing 詹 include: 詹姆斯 (zhān mǔ sī) — James (transliteration); 姓詹 (xìng zhān) — Surname Zhan; 詹事 (zhān shì) — supervisor (ancient official title).