How to Write 斟 (zhēn) — Meaning “To pour / To consider”

Imagine you are at a tea ceremony and you must 'pour' (斟) very carefully because the tea is 'extremely hot' (甚, meaning 'very'). The left part 甚 reminds you to be cautious, and the right part 斗 looks like a ladle or dipper used for pouring.

The left side 甚 is wider than the right side 斗, so keep the left side balanced while the right side stays narrow. Write the horizontal strokes of 甚 evenly spaced, and remember the last stroke of 斗 is a vertical stroke that should align with the center of the character. A common mistake is making the right side 斗 too large; it should be compact.

斟 uses the radical 斗 (dipper) and means 'to pour' or 'to consider', while 斛 (hú) is a historical unit of dry measure (about 10 bushels) and has the radical 斗 but with 角 (horn) on the left. 斜 (xié) means 'slanted' or 'oblique' and uses the radical 斗 with 余 (remainder) on the left, so their meanings and left-side components are completely different.

斟 appears in formal or polite situations, especially when serving tea or wine, as in 斟酒 (pour wine) or 斟茶 (pour tea). The word 斟酌 (to deliberate) is common in business or writing to mean 'carefully consider' an issue, reflecting the cultural value of thoughtful decision-making.

Common words containing 斟 include: 斟酒 (zhēn jiǔ) — To pour wine; 斟茶 (zhēn chá) — To pour tea; 斟酌 (zhēn zhuó) — To deliberate / To consider.