干 Stroke Order — How to Write 干
干 is written in 3 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 十, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
干 Radical and Character Components
干 is a pictograph. A club or axe.
Radical: 十 + 0 more strokes
干 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- gān
- gàn
Meanings of 干 in Chinese
1
gān干
To interfere with, to meddle in, or to offend.
请不要干涉我的私人事务。
Please do not interfere with my private affairs.
To pursue or seek, often for official positions or emoluments; to strive for (e.g., fame, profit).
他一向不爱干名利，只求问心无愧
He has always disdained pursuing fame and fortune, only seeking a clear conscience.
To be related to; to concern; to involve.
这件事和他互不相干。
This matter has nothing to do with him.
Shield (an ancient weapon for defense against swords and spears).
为了一点小事，没必要大动干戈。
There's no need to make such a big fuss over a trivial matter.
One of the ten 'Heavenly Stems' (甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, 癸) used in the ancient Chinese sexagenary cycle for recording time (years, months, days, hours) or for sequencing.
根据天干地支，可以推算一个人的生辰八字。
According to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, one's Bazi (four pillars of destiny) can be calculated.
bank; shore; waterside (especially of a river)
小船停靠在河干，渔夫们正在整理渔网。
The small boats docked at the riverbank, and the fishermen were sorting their nets.
several; a certain number or amount (often used in the phrase 'ruògān' 若干)
我们还有若干问题需要解决。
We still have several problems to solve.
dry; lacking moisture; parched, opposite of wet.
他感觉嘴巴很干。
He felt his mouth was very dry.
Dry food or other items, often referring to preserved or dehydrated edibles.
妈妈给我买了一些饼干。
Mom bought me some biscuits.
To dry up; to exhaust; to empty; to finish (a drink); to do completely
我们为友谊干杯！
Let's toast to our friendship!
in vain; for nothing; futilely
我们干着急也没用，事情已经发生了。
It's no use for us to worry in vain; the matter has already happened.
Used to refer to a recognized relative who is not related by blood or marriage, such as a godparent or godchild.
小明有一个干妈，对他非常好
Xiao Ming has a godmother who is very kind to him.
To scold or reprimand someone directly and severely, often causing them embarrassment or discomfort.
小明上课玩手机，被老师干了一顿。
Xiao Ming played with his phone in class and was given a good scolding by the teacher.
To neglect; to ignore; to leave aside.
你不能总是把问题干在一旁，迟早要解决的
You can't always leave the problems aside; they will have to be solved sooner or later.
In the context of 'Gan Jiang' (干将), it refers to the legendary ancient Chinese sword.
干将莫邪是古代著名的两把剑。
Gan Jiang and Moxie are two famous ancient swords.
2
gàn干
The main or essential part of something, such as a trunk (of a tree or body) or a main line/route.
这棵树的树干很粗壮，需要两个人才能合抱。
The trunk of this tree is very thick and strong; it takes two people to embrace it.
to do; to work; to act; to engage in
他是一个说干就干的人，从不拖延
He is a man of action, never procrastinating.
Capable; competent; efficient in handling affairs.
他是一位非常能干的经理。
He is a very capable manager.
Dialectal. To be bad, ruined, or spoiled (often referring to a situation or outcome).
这下可干了，钥匙找不到了
Now it's really bad, the keys are lost.
Common Words and Phrases with 干
1
To hinder, obstruct, or unfavorably involve; to implicate.
他的个人问题不应该干碍到整个团队的工作进度。
His personal problems should not hinder the entire team's work progress.
2
dried up; shriveled; wizened
这块牛肉干得干巴了，嚼不动
This piece of dried beef is so dry and shriveled that it's hard to chew.
3
Dull, insipid, or uninteresting (e.g., of writing or expression); also, very dry or parched.
这块面包放得太久，已经变得干巴巴的了。
This loaf of bread has been left out for too long; it's already become dry and stale.
4
To drink a toast, often finishing the glass, used for celebration or encouragement, or as an exclamation meaning 'Cheers!'
为了庆祝他的生日，我们一起举杯干杯！
To celebrate his birthday, let's all raise our glasses and make a toast!
5
dried scallop
这道汤里放了些干贝，味道更加鲜甜
Some dried scallops were added to this soup, making the flavor even more delicious.
6
Secco, a painting technique where pigments mixed with a binder are applied to dry plaster.
这幅干壁画描绘了中世纪的生活场景，色彩依然鲜艳
This dry fresco depicts scenes of medieval life, and the colors are still vibrant.
7
Wizened or shriveled (e.g., a face, fruit); also describes writing or speech as dry, dull, and lacking in substance.
长时间的暴晒使这些葡萄变得干瘪，失去了饱满的汁水。
Prolonged exposure to the sun made these grapes shriveled and lose their plump juiciness.
8
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, typically in block form, used as a refrigerant or coolant.
为了保持冰淇淋在运输过程中不融化，通常会使用干冰进行冷藏。
Dry ice is often used for refrigeration to prevent ice cream from melting during transportation.
9
Cadre or functionary, a person holding a leadership or management position, typically in government or public organizations.
公司的高层干部们正在为未来的发展制定战略。
The senior executives of the company are developing strategies for future development.
10
Dried vegetable
奶奶喜欢用干菜做菜，这让菜肴的味道更加浓郁。
Grandma loves cooking with dried preserved vegetables, which makes the dishes taste richer.
11
Dried grass, often cut and stored for use as animal fodder.
农民将收割下来的干草堆积起来，准备过冬。
The farmers piled up the harvested hay, preparing for winter.
12
13
Dry branches and wood blocks used as fuel.
夜幕降临，我们收集了一些干柴，准备生火取暖。
As night fell, we collected some dry firewood, preparing to light a fire to keep warm.
14
Refers to an explosive or volatile situation, or intense passion/sexual desire between two people, like dry firewood and a fierce fire.
他们俩一见面，就如同干柴烈火，爱情的火花瞬间被点燃。
The moment they met, it was like dry firewood meeting a raging fire, and the sparks of love ignited instantly.
More words with 干
- hōng烘gān干drying, dry
- liàng晾gān干air dry, let dry
- néng能gàn干Able and capable; competent.
- ruò若gān干some, several
- bèi焙gān干to dry over a fire
- cái才gàn干Talent, ability, and competence.
- chōu抽gān干Drain, Pump dry
- diào调gàn干cadre enrolled from among workers
- dòng冻gān干freeze-drying, lyophilization
- gāo糕gān干dried steamed cake, dried rice cake
- gǔ骨gàn干backbone, mainstay
- guì贵gàn干What can I do for you?, What is your business?
- hé何gān干have nothing to do with (sb./sth.)
- jiāng江gān干by the river; riverside
- jiāo焦gān干parched; extremely dry
- jīng茎gàn干stem, stalk
- kū枯gān干dried up, withered
- lán阑gān干railing, balustrade
- mán蛮gàn干act rashly, do things recklessly
- qū躯gàn干torso, trunk
Idioms with 干
- gān干cuì脆lì利luo落simple, neat, and efficient
- gān干cuì脆lì利suo索Direct, quick, and neat
- gàn干fù父zhī之gǔ蛊Carry on father's unfinished work
- gàn干gàn干cuì脆cuì脆Direct, decisive, and straightforward
- gān干gān干jìng净jìng净spotlessly clean and tidy
- gàn干jìn劲chōng冲tiān天bursting with enthusiasm and energy
- gān干jìng净lì利luo落Neat, efficient, and decisive
- gān干jìng净lì利suǒ索neat, efficient, and thorough
- gān干qīng卿dǐ底shì事It's none of your business
- gàn干qīng卿hé何shì事It's none of your business
- gān干zào燥wú无wèi味dull and uninteresting
- bái白chī吃gān干fàn饭to be a freeloader
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Open the tool →Questions about 干
What does 干 mean in Chinese?
干 (gān) means “To interfere with” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 干?
干 has 2 pronunciations: gān, gàn.
How many strokes does 干 have?
干 has 3 strokes.
How do you write 干?
干 is written in 3 strokes, starting from the radical 十. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 干?
The radical of 干 is 十, and 干 is a pictograph.