How to write 砚

砚 yàn 名词 【本义】: 砚台，磨墨器 1. 写毛笔字磨墨用的文具，多数用石做成。 [En.] A stationery used for grinding ink for writing with a brush, mostly made of stone. 如: 砚台 (inkstone). 笔砚. 2. 旧指同学关系（因同学共笔砚）。 [En.] In the past, it referred to the relationship among classmates (because they shared an inkstone). 如: 同砚 (classmates). 砚友 (friends who are classmates). 砚 yàn 动词 制作砚 [En.] To make the inkstone. 如: 砚璞 (beautiful stone that can be made into an inkstone); 砚材 (stone material that can be made into an inkstone). 砚 yàn 名词 1. 光滑的石头 [En.] Glossy stone. 【引】 1. 《说文》：砚，石滑也。段玉裁注:谓石性滑利也。 [En.] From "Shuowen": Inkstone, it means smooth stone. (The annotation states the stone is smooth and slippery.) 2. 《释名》：砚，研也。研墨使和濡也。 [En.] From "Shiming": Inkstone, to grind; it is used to make ink smooth and moist. 2. 砚台 [En.] Inkstone, a kind of stone-carved stationery used for grinding and adjusting ink. 【引】 1. 清·周容《芋老人传》：一砚。 [En.] From "The Story of the Old Man of Taro": an inkstone. 2. 明·宋濂《送东阳马生序》：砚冰坚。 [En.] From "Farewell to Ma Sheng, a Student of Dongyang": the inkstone is as hard as ice. 【例】 又如: 砚瓦 (inkstone); 笔砚 (brush and inkstone).