How to Write 湛 (zhàn) — Meaning “Deep and clear.”

Imagine a deep blue ocean (氵) where the water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom — that's "zhan" blue. The 甚 part looks like a stack of horizontal lines, hinting at the many layers of depth.

Start with the three strokes of the water radical: dot, dot, lift, keeping it narrow. The right part 甚 has nine strokes — write the four horizontal lines evenly spaced and end with a vertical stroke that stops slightly above the bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too tall; keep it balanced with the left radical.

Unlike 流 (liú, "to flow") which has a different right part that curves, 湛 uses 甚 with many horizontal lines. 浙 (zhè, as in Zhejiang) has a right part that looks like a broken line (折), while 湛's right side is more compact and square. Focus on the extra horizontal strokes in 湛 to tell them apart.

You often see 湛 in poetic or formal descriptions of color, like 湛蓝 (zhàn lán) for a deep blue sky or sea. It also appears in 精湛 (jīng zhàn) to praise masterly skill, and in the city name 湛江 (zhàn jiāng) in Guangdong. This character is not common in everyday conversation, so it adds a refined tone.

Common words containing 湛 include: 湛蓝 (zhàn lán) — Azure or deep blue.; 精湛 (jīng zhàn) — Exquisite; consummate; masterly.; 湛江 (zhàn jiāng) — Zhanjiang (a city in Guangdong, China)..